I always been a fan of Tim Coyne’s ‘Unkempt’ series. Tim’s delivery and storytelling is honest, vulnerable, and funny. And, most of all, I can relate to his overarching theme: the challenges of maintaining long term relationships despite a parents’ divorce fucking it up from the start.

Tim’s drive to run away from the problems of a post-divorce home in Mirage map frighteningly close to the me of 15 years ago.

The latest Unkempt concludes with this line:

“I want my dad to know me….it shouldn’t be too hard. I’m him, if he had chosen the dream.” – Tim Coyne

It’s only been in the past 6 years that my dad and I have started to reconnect. It’s still hard, and we both can say, ‘yes, this is hard, let’s keep going’.

If memory and math serve me, when my Dad was my age, he decided to build a house for his family.

By hand.

In the woods.

Where even today, there still isn’t a paved road.

And that’s where my memory starts.