My father's prized possession...
was an Argus camera he got when he graduated from St. Thomas and I always thought he was such a classy guy because he had that cool camera and taught me how to use it.
Not sure I learned anything but he loved old-times stuff!
He loved simplicity and logic which is what I love too.
And being good at what you loved.
Working at it to get better.
And having good time while doing it, of course.
This my buddy Peter Schmidt (pictured left; pretending to get run over) who was like a dad/therapist to me (awkwardly waving, right).
Peter helped make the Killer Take-Out Stand Burrito Truck a reality when the transmission blew in Colorado. With his help we made it to Oregon sometime in the late 80s.
It's a whole story, click the button below watch the abridged version.
Fatherhood is generational in its effect on the children.
As a father you realize this more and more over the years. Hopefully we can be that much more capable, understanding and wise than our forefathers.
The other thing about fatherhood is that it doesn't have to be about having children.
Life is full of fathers. There are father figures around us all the time; from actual fathers to educators, friends who double as therapists to friends’ dads who are actual therapists.
Random people we might meet or talk to at any moment in life.
Mentors who support our own goals — so we can learn to call the shots and be who we are.
John Roos' Tips on How to Dad.
Pictured: John Roos and son Jozo Roos, on a boat, somewhere not very close to Ann Arbor, Michigan. 2024.
My kid Jozo was born with an iPad in his hand (practically).
We spend so much time trying to get him to get off the screen BUT at the same time he's a wicked gamer.
For instance, when I took him on the boat (see photo above, ignore the sunburns) and it came time to navigate, he could work the whole thing like a seasoned sailor.
At 12 years old, he was amazing at running the boat. He could navigate between fog and rocks and everything. When I navigate I'm too focused looking at the screen to realize I'm about to run into rocks and when I'm looking at the rocks I am inevitably lost in the fog. Jozo could handle it all with ease.
Maybe all that tech time makes for a kid who is a pro when the seas get rough, or the fog rolls in.
And maybe our job as dads is to make sure our kids just get on board.
Everything else is a phase so don't get too caught up about yelling at your kids about something because they'll grow out of it.
And you'll probably need them to set up your chat-bot so you can talk to AI when you're in your elder years.
Tip #1: Lead by example.
Our kids are gonna do what we do. Don't expect them to do different.
If you don't want your kid to drink, don't drink.
If you don't want your kid to do drugs, don't do drugs.
Take them with you, get your kid out into the world, get your kids out of the house, take care of them and they'll take care of you!
Tip #2: It's just a phase.
People say having a child is the best thing you could ever do in your life.
It's not really, it's just another phase of life.
It's more responsibility and hopefully helps you get your shit together so that you can lead by example.
Tip #3: Teach them life skills like hygiene and how to clean.
Teach your kid how to get a bucket and hot water and soap and a rag and clean things up. Clean the floor, clean the walls, clean the counters.
Teach them how to make food! Teach them how to shell a lobster, roll a burrito, brew coffee, bake pizza, and make good food to share with others because that's how we share our love with people we love.
Tip #4: Have a good time.
Some people say that you shouldn't treat your kids like your friend. But I don't really believe that because our kids are wicked cool and fun to do stuff with!! Be a dad when you need to be, but don't forget to make it fun and get to know your kid and the rad person they are.
Tip #5: Learn from your mistakes!
Because if you don't try you're not gonna fail and if you don't fail then you're not gonna learn!!!!
Learning is how we become who we are.
I visit so many coffee shops on my travels and I keep learning, always.
This summer I hit so many coffee shops in NYC — Manhattan, Brooklyn, the villages and the boroughs.
It's clear to me that RR is amazing and we have carved out our own place in the coffee world. We call the shots and can be who we are.
When I travel and want to share coffee wherever I go, I bring Lobster Butter Love or Portland in the 90's or our latest single origin. I'll grind it up and take it with me so I can make coffee at truck stops, the airport, on a train, wherever!
We have pros who can grind your RoosRoast professionally, standing by 7 days a week. So come in and we will grind it for you so you can go off into the world and share the love too.
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