I am asking because I stream really boring streams all the time. People are welcome to tune in and check out, and there is no expectation of interaction at all. If someone gets some joy out of watching someone fly in a flight simulator listening to chill music for hours at a time, that's great.
I've seen him three times in person since I cut off all other contact. He's approached me every time. I'm pretty sure the interest to reconnect is there.
I love my son, I truly do. I may not ever be able to correct the mistakes I made in bringing him up, but it doesn't truly matter. Unless he actually does something egregious, I won't forswear him.
The worst thing he's done is espouse some ideologies I don't agree with and pursue an engineering degree.
I'll give you some more context. I only came to this decision after driving with him for 10 hours up to Portland, where he worked for 6 months, and then driving him back down for another 10 hours. All the hours of which we talked quite deliberately about our differences of opinion. This wasn't a spur of the moment thing.
My son is a lot like me, and all my other children. We are opinionated but rational. Indeed, I am planning to reconnect, and I hope he feels the same way. But that's not up to me. It depends on how it goes.
In the end, he is my son, I have made choices, and I indeed regret quite a few of the ones I've made. I hope to rectify this one, this one that has severed my connection with my child. I talk with my other three children regularly.
You might think about how much you are thinking about other people's comments on the internet though.
Answering my own question: "You've become a fascist, despite how I raised you. I don't want anything more to do with you." Said to my son, who is now 24 years old. I'm planning to reconnect with him at his grandfather's 80th birthday in a few months. I won't excuse his behavior or condone it, but hopefully I can reconnect enough that we can agree to disagree.
I'm 194cm (6'3") and my God do I wish I were a bit shorter. I would fit a lot more places, my back wouldn't hurt doing the dishes from bending over, my feet wouldn't hang off my bed and get cold all the time.
It was 15 years ago. It all worked out well. My kids grew up, well adjusted and loved, and we talk all the time. We've talked through what happened as well.
I have a bit of a story to tell about this particular question.
It's a question I asked of myself.
Brought on by my sister calling child protective services on me after my wife died. She left me. With four children, and I was in mourning and not dealing well.
It led me the ask the most painful question of myself. Am I a good father?
The answer was no.
I wasn't a good father. And I'm glad she made that call. It woke me up, and I changed everything around. Or at least, I hope so.
Son?!?