I've been trying to clear my head for two weeks, but I can't seem to send my thoughts into cyberspace. I generally write about the things foremost in my head, but I'm really struggling this time. I have had some unlikely conversations lately with my children. Our children are 26 and 24 years old. My daughter still lives at home part of the time. Through the course of these talks, I've been exposed for the real me. It's hard to have your kids look you in the eye and realize who you really are. For the first time in their lives, they see you for someone other than the guy who helps them put their world back together with his trusty pocketknife. I think some people make it through their entire life without their children ever knowing them for anything other than their parent. That's probably best. I feel like the Wizard of Oz, and my kids just pulled back the curtain to see that I'm no Wizard at all.

I never knew my father as a "one of the guys". Oh, I found out about some of his dealings as I got older, but never knew him like his friends did. Unfortunately, he passed away when I was 25 years old, so everything else I learned about him has been from other people. I don't think children need to know what their parents are really like. Call me crazy, but I think most kids wouldn't like their parents as well if they knew everything about them. Think about it.

It changes the relationship between parent and child. It changes how they look at each other. It makes it difficult to offer your child advice. I've always considered my kids as two of my best friends. Now, they are even more like best friends. They know things about me that only my best friends know. In a sad, very sad way, this is cool. Cool, but very sad.

My advice to those of you with children, don't let them see behind the curtain.