728 x 90

A Little Fellow Follows Me

A Little Fellow Follows Me

Laugh if you want, but I enjoy the Netflix series Cobra Kai. While I rooted for Daniel in the original ’80s movie, my favorite character is now Daniel’s rival Johnny Lawrence.

My kids saw enough similarities between Johnny and me to buy an Eagle Fang Karate shirt for my birthday. I assume it’s because we share a respect for old school toughness, both critical of today’s soft culture of participation trophies and overprotective parenting.

But it wasn’t one of Johnny’s anti-snowflake rants that caught my recent attention.

The scene that struck a chord was a flashback to Johnny’s childhood, when his mom tells him that she is remarrying and he’s getting a new stepdad. A distraught Johnny runs to his room and pulls out a cardboard box from under his bed, items his natural father left behind.

The first thing young Johnny grabs from his box? His dad’s crinkled-up Coors can — Johnny’s own favorite beer forty years later as he struggles with a drinking problem.

Treasured Tokens

Seeing that beer can reminded me of my behavior after my dad passed away five years ago.

When I went back home for his funeral, I instinctively grabbed one of dad’s tins of Skoal chewing tobacco from his cabinet. It now sits close by in a small box of random stuff on my writing desk.

I was fortunate to never take on the dirty habit of chewing, probably because my first experience with tobacco was reminiscent of the Tilt-A-Whirl scene in The Sandlot.

But such acts reveal the primal need in sons to idolize their fathers, to hold onto anything that carries their imprint.

Even when, in Johnny’s case, there was probably a lot he didn’t want to remember.

The Weight of Example

When coach John Wooden first became a dad, a friend gave him a picture with a poem on it called A Little Fellow Follows Me, which Wooden hung on his wall and later memorized.

A careful man I want to be,

A little fellow follows me.

I do not dare to go astray,

For fear he’ll go the self‑same way.

In reading the poem’s first lines, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, even trapped by the responsibility of being a father.

The truth is inescapable — our children are watching and copying everything we do.

Every time we scroll mindlessly on our phones during family time.

Every time we lose our patience and snap at someone.

Every time we choose the easy way instead of the right way.

The Better Road

But knowing I’m far from perfect, I like to focus more on the poem’s ending.

But after all it’s easier,

That brighter road to climb,

With little hands behind me —

To push me all the time.

And I reckon I’m a better man

Than what I used to be…

Because I have this lad at home

Who thinks the world of me.

Rather than worry about never making a mistake, I find strength in the idea of my children pushing me to be a better man. And I like to think, if I do my best and spend enough time with my kids, they will pay more attention to the good things; maybe give me a break with some of my screw-ups.

I have done that with my dad. Like all of us, he wasn’t perfect. But, I have immortalized him in my memories, focusing on all of the good things he did, the things I want to emulate.

It’s one of the main reasons I write — to keep my dad’s fire burning in this world, to ensure his values light the way for others.

The Greatest Honor

Last week, my kids and I rewatched Top Gun Maverick, a movie my dad (and Johnny Lawrence) would have loved.

Near the end, Tom Cruise hugs Goose’s son Rooster on the carrier deck and thanks him for saving his life.

Rooster’s reply is simple but profound: “It’s what my dad would’ve done.”

Few movie lines hit me as hard as that one.

Not just because it’s a son honoring his father’s memory, but because it captures the truest measure of a father’s legacy — the moment when our children face life’s challenges and instinctively know the right path because we showed them the way.

This article is republished with permission from Midwest Sense.

Image Credit: PickPik

6 comments
Ray Craig
Ray Craig
CONTRIBUTOR
PROFILE

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

6 Comments

  • Avatar
    Onan
    August 6, 2025, 8:55 am

    I honestly didn’t expect much when I first tried this, but here I am making around 6,000 a month just by working online a few hours a day from home. It’s not a get-rich scheme, just something steady that’s been working for me quietly in the background. If you’ve been looking for something consistent like I was, here’s what I started with:
    👉 https://www.jobs67.com

    REPLY
    • Avatar
      KarenB@Onan
      August 6, 2025, 11:03 am

      I get paid over 220 Dollars per hour working from home with 2 kids at home. i never thought i’d be able to do it but my best friend earns over 15k a month doing this and she convinced me to try. it was all true and has totally changed my life. This is what I do, check it out by Visiting Following Website…
      .
      .
      HERE—————⊃⫸ https://Www.Cash43.Com

      REPLY
      • Avatar
        RSLewis@KarenB
        August 6, 2025, 11:03 am

        Google is now paying $300 to $500 per hour for doing work online work from home. Last paycheck of me said that $20537 from this easy and simple job. Its amazing and earns are awesome. No boss, full time freedom and earnings are in front of you. This job is just awesome. Every person can makes income online with google easily….
        .
        M­­­­­­o­­­­­­r­­­­­­e­ D­­­­­­e­­­­­­t­­­­­­a­­­­­­i­­­­­­l­­­­­­s For Us→→ http://Www.Payathome9.Com

        REPLY
  • Avatar
    picodo
    August 6, 2025, 8:57 am

    I’m not a big gambler, I just like relaxing with a few spins. But I always struggled to find good casinos. After checking https://gamblecritic.org/ I discovered a site with easy deposits, friendly interface, and generous cashback offers. I played video blackjack and slots late at night and had a smooth experience. No confusion about rules, no delay in withdrawing my bonus. Just pure fun, and I look forward to my next session.

    REPLY
  • Avatar
    Lauren Gregory
    August 6, 2025, 10:05 am

    With joy in my heart and gratitude to God almighty i have come to tell the general public that Lord Gerald herbal medicine is the best remedy for Herpes and HIV/AIDS, I was a carrier of Herpes virus and I saw a testimony on how Lord Gerald cure Herpes, I decided to have a contact with him and asked him for help and he started the remedies for my health and prepare the herbal medicine for me which i use to cure myself. Thank God, now everything is fine, I’m cured by Lord Gerald herbal medicine, I’m very thankful to Lord Gerald and i will not stop publishing his name on the internet because of the good work he did for me, You can reach him on his email: [email protected] or
    WhatsApp: +14242983869

    LORD GERALD CAN AS WELL CURE THE FOLLOWING DISEASE:-

    1. HIV/AIDS
    2. HERPES
    3. CANCER OF ALL KINDS
    4. HSV
    5. Hepatitis A,B,C
    6. Diabetes
    7. Parkinson’s disease
    8. C.O.P.D
    9.ALS
    10. Coronary Artery Disease (Ischemic Heart Disease)
    11. Alopecia
    12.Bipolar disorder
    13.Bedwetting
    14.Carpal tunnel syndrome
    15.Celiac disease
    16.Ear Infections
    17.Endometriosis
    18.Epilepsy
    19.Chlamydia
    20.Syphilis
    21.Gonorrhea

    Natural remedy for curing HERPES and HIV. WhatsApp Lord Gerald on +14242983869

    REPLY
  • Avatar
    illiana
    August 6, 2025, 11:23 am

    ɪᴍ ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴏᴠᴇʀ 𝟷𝟹ᴋ ʙᴜᴄᴋs ᴀ ᴍᴏɴᴛʜ ᴡᴏʀᴋɪɴɢ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇ. ɪ ᴋᴇᴘᴛ ʜᴇᴀʀɪɴɢ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴛᴇʟʟ ᴍᴇ ʜᴏᴡ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴍᴏɴᴇʏ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴄᴀɴ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴏɴʟɪɴᴇ sᴏ ɪ ᴅᴇᴄɪᴅᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ɪɴᴛᴏ ɪᴛ. ᴡᴇʟʟ, ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴀʟʟ ᴛʀᴜᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀs ᴛᴏᴛᴀʟʟʏ

    ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇᴅ ᴍʏ ʟɪғᴇ…..➤➤ .. http://www.join.money63.com

    REPLY

Read More

Latest Posts

Frequent Contributors