CKT came to work with me today. It was one of those days that I know he will remember forever, if for no other reason than the experience of going to work with his Daddy. There was nothing remarkable about work today except that CKT was there, and that alone was enough to make it remarkable for me.

CKT brought his journal and composed a story while I met with a student during office hours. The story covers how the student had a technical issue with her video footage, and how I worked with the student to solve the problem. One of the sentences says that I told CKT to be quiet. That’s probably true–I know I told him to stop jumping on the futon in my office. I’m a little sad, though, that one of the takeaways from the story–and from the trip to Daddy’s office in general–was that I told CKT to be quiet.

The Wonder Years produced an episode titled “My Father’s Office” in which the twelve-year-old Kevin accompanies his father to work. Kevin sees what his middle-management father does throughout the day, and at the climax observes his father getting chewed out by the boss. It gave Kevin a new perspective on what his father is like, and why he is so surly after work. It is a poignant episode (weren’t they all?), and it resonated with me when I watched it for the first time when I was twelve. Like Kevin, I didn’t know what my father did, or how his workplace stressors affected his home life. And now, as a father with a grown-up job, I took my boy to work, and maybe as a result he understands me a little better. I hope he likes what he saw.