Somewhere along the way, we became the guys with multiple weather apps, comfortable shoes, strong opinions about parking spots, and bodies that make sound effects every time we stand up.

In Episode 19 of Dad Drive, we’re talking about the terrifying realization that we’re becoming the old guys. Our kids are speaking in brain rot, baggy jeans are somehow cool again, songs from our youth are ancient, and fifty suddenly doesn’t seem nearly as old as it did when our parents got there.

But underneath all the gray hair, bad eyesight, and questionable teenage slang is something I’m starting to appreciate: getting older means I’m still here to watch my kids grow up, spend time with my wife, laugh with old friends, and make more memories with the people I love.

Maybe getting older isn’t something happening to us.

Maybe it’s something we’re lucky enough to get to do.

And until my kids can out-drive me on the golf course?

Suck it, children. Dad’s still got it.

Episode 19: Dad, We’re Becoming the Old Guys.

As our kids become teenagers, they don’t stop needing Dad; the job just changes.

In Episode 18 of Dad Drive, I talk about learning to give my teens space while still making sure they know I’m here. We get into music and playlists, video games, the dreaded “I’m fine,” knowing when to give advice, and why some of the best conversations happen in the car when the music suddenly gets turned down.

Our job isn’t to raise kids who need us forever. It’s to build the kind of relationship they’ll choose to come back to when they don’t have to anymore.

Sometimes Dad doesn’t need to fix anything.

Sometimes he just needs to listen.

Remember when hanging out with your friends required absolutely no planning? Now two grown men trying to grab lunch together need six weeks, three calendars, and permission from the universe.

In Episode 17, we’re talking about what happens to male friendships as we get older. I’ve been blessed to still have college buddies in my life. We still talk occasionally. But somewhere between marriage, kids, careers, bills, and everything else adulthood throws at us, friendships that once happened naturally start requiring a little more effort.

And maybe that’s the problem. Good friendships don’t always end. Sometimes they just get quiet.

We’ll talk about the guys who knew us before we were “Dad,” why our wives shouldn’t have to be our entire social support system, the uniquely ridiculous way grown men maintain friendships, and why “we should get together sometime” usually means nobody is getting together.

There’s a simple challenge at the end of this one:

Text the guy.

You probably already know exactly who I’m talking about.

Don’t wait until you need something. Don’t wait for something to be wrong. And definitely don’t wait until a funeral is the reason everybody finally gets back together.

Good people are worth keeping.

Episode 17 of Dad Drive - because being present isn’t only about showing up for our kids. It’s about showing up for the people who have been part of our drive, too.