When you are in a community this size and part of a newspaper staff this small, it is easy for your presence – or absence – to be noticed.

I have been somewhat conspicuously absent from much of the Demopolis scene over the last week. I would like to apologize for that. And, I would also like to point out that I will probably be absent a good bit more from some select events over the coming weeks. It’s not that I don’t care about the happenings in and around our beloved community. I certainly enjoy them as much as I always have.

But, my personal life has taken on a whole new look the last 10 days as my wife gave birth to our first child April 25.

And, I have to admit, daddydom is absolutely the coolest thing I have experienced. There is truly nothing quite like getting home and holding my newborn son. In that moment, all the cares of the day go away and all that matters is my child.

It is a tremendous feeling. And it has done more to realign my perspective than I ever imagined that anything could.

So, you will see me on the baseball field or the softball field or at a meeting of some sort or at whatever other event may be going on. And I will be thrilled to say hello and happy to be there. But, please understand, there is this huge part of me that just wants to get home and see my son. He’s honestly the coolest person I know.

And it is killing me how quickly things change. He was eight pounds and two ounces and 20.5 inches long just 10 days ago. Yet, he already looks so much bigger.

He was sleeping about 18 hours a day and would scarcely open his eyes for the first week or so. Now, he is staying awake for longer intervals and taking in everything around him. And all I really want to do is make sure I’m considerable part of that landscape he sees when he looks around.

So, you may not see me quite as much as you did before. But, please understand that I still care about you and your kids and whatever events and stories in which you’re involved. And an e-mail or a phone call to keep me posted on what is going on is always appreciated. You and the community we both love will still get the best coverage we can provide. But my son is also going to get that wall-to-wall coverage every child deserves to get from his father. So, thank you for being understanding and I hope that this community will embrace my son in much the same way it has his father.