"What Dad Really Wants is a Nap. Really."
Solvitur Ambulando's Annual Father's Day Gift Guide
Yep, Dave Barry pretty much nailed it. But, hey, if you’re looking to show your appreciation for Dad in other ways, here are some ideas. I will add that Dad — or Granddad or any Father-like figure in your life — will always love a handwritten note sharing, in your own words, what he means to you.
Happy Father’s Day!
For Daily Use
Colonel Littleton No. 10 Writing Board
With small magnets to hold a couple paperclips, and a leather strap that tightens around a grooved track to hold a pen or pencil, this lap desk works great for a change of scenery around your home or office.
Mythologie Book of Kells Candle
My friend Marci gave me this candle. I love the dark, smoky glass candle holder and the scent -- "Notes of damp ink, leather-bound covers, sweet musk, and dried lavender between pages." The perfect flame carrier for your man's man cave or library.
You know how you sometimes receive packages with plastic wrap covering them, and your fingernail has trouble opening it, but a knife might damage the item? This little tool has a tiny blade at the end, just enough to cut through that plastic without damaging the package or item. My father gave me one about 30 years ago. I've used it nearly every day since.
Writing
I've bought or been gifted several of these pens over the years – probably originally by my father or my uncle. They write well, feel great in your hand, and look elegant without breaking the bank. Friends recently gave me a clear-barreled one for my birthday; it's become my every-day use pen at home.
Michael's High-Voltage Teslacoil Red-Black or Limited Edition Pen
A big, beefy pen. It looks dynamite on my office desk, gorgeously crafted, and a smooth writer.
Franklin-Christoph Fountain Pen
Years ago, I learned about F-C from Pen Addict (which has the greatest tagline -- "There are worse addictions, right?"). I've enjoyed several of their fountain pens. They come in a range of shapes and sizes, with plentiful ink and cartridge options. A father should own at least one excellent fountain pen, and any one of these would fit that bill.
Pilot Precise V5 Rollerball Pens
My writer friend Katy turned me on to these pens. Inexpensive, durable, with a smooth tip. They come in a huge array of colors and I love getting the multi-color packs, especially for the bright green, pink and orange. When I write in my journal, I almost compulsively have to write in a different color today than I did yesterday. A stash of these on hand lets me do exactly that.
Leuchtturm1917 Drehgriffel Nr. 1 Ballpoint Pen
They come in lots of colors, they're hexagon-shaped so they won't roll off your desk, and they have just enough weight to feel perfectly balanced in your hand. You can fill them with ballpoint or gel refills. I highly recommend the ballpoint – great writing experience, and equally strongly advise against the gel – scratchy, broken-up experience.
This is a seemingly odd-looking pen that writes quite well. It serves one purpose in my line-up. Because of its flat design, it’s a terrific option when I wear a blazer; it doesn’t bulk-up the inside pocket like many round pens do. When I got mine, it came in one color — silver. Now it comes in many cool options to add a touch of flair to your accessories.
Notebooks
There are so many options out there. I’ve experimented with dozens over the years. I’ve received many as gifts. If you see one that you think Dad will like, you are probably correct. A few I especially enjoy:
Leuchtturm1917 Classic Notebooks (I use the B5 Composition, softcover, dotted pages);
Books
In Louisville, we are fortunate to have a world-class and world-famous summer Shakespeare Festival in Central Park. You probably live somewhere near a Shakespeare Festival too. This year, the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival is showing Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, and Cymbeline. Guess what I'll be starting soon? Here are a few events around. Give Dad an ole play by the ole Bard this summer.
Summer Shakespeare Festival (Prague)
Upstate Shakespeare Festival (Greenville, SC)
Mark Twain, by Ron Chernow
Our neighbors gave me this book for my birthday. After helping my daughter with The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, I can't wait to dig into this biography.
Things Become Other Things (FA), Things Become Other Things (RH), and Other Thing
Three books about Craig Mod's walk around the Kii Peninsula in Japan. You can read my review of them here. Dad would probably love any or all of them.
From Common Sense and The Federalist to great Supreme Court cases, these slim volumes capture much of the American experiment in, and gift to the world of, government. It has perhaps come time for us to re-acquaint ourselves with their humility, lessons, and wisdom.
Steppenwolf, by Hermann Hesse
Our Gentlemen's Book Club read and discussed Steppenwolf recently. We all agreed it's a book profitably visited or revisited in middle age. Harry Haller, in his mid-40s, must come to terms with a life that hasn't gone exactly as he expected or hoped. Hesse wrote in a different age than we're living through, and yet I can't help but feel that it still speaks to us of the troubles of our lives, these days, and offers hope for the cure. Our Club found the Penguin Modern Classics edition and this one to be the superior ones. Others suffered from significant translation difficulties.
Another Sort of Learning, by James V. Schall, S.J.
Again, as we approach middle age, we might wonder: what do I really know? What have I learned in all these years? Like Steppenwolf, this is a wonderful book to visit or revisit as we come to the early afternoon of life.
Take Your Time, by Eknath Easwaran
I am slow-reading this with the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation. We read 5 to 9 pages per week. I find myself reading and re-reading those pages 2 or 3 times per week, or even every day of that week. I have a bad habit of rushing through books to get to the end to start a new book to rush through that book to get to a new book. This book, and slow-reading it, has offered a welcome tonic to that poor practice.
How to Walk, by Thich Nhat Hanh
This slim volume, part of his How To or Mindfulness Essentials series, reminds me that even the things I think I know how to do, like walk, I may have done imperfectly my entire life. Perhaps there is a better way. Perhaps there is a way to enrich life with every step.
It's not perfect -- I wish each side contained slightly more weight for unruly paperbacks. But this does the job laying most books flat and remains the best one of them I’ve found.
Tea and Drinks
My friend Rachel Lutz makes these gorgeously-crafted mugs. She gave me one years ago.I still use it to drink my fancy man tea every day.
Wondery Original Parks of the USA Bucket List Water Bottle
My brother's family gave me this bottle a couple years ago. I use it every single day. It comes with stickers to add to the bottle as you visit a new National Park -- an action I have taken surprising delight in as we visit a new one. One full-up gets me through the day.
Stanley Easy Fill Wide Mouth Flask
If Dad pulls out this bad boy after a day a-huntin' or a-fishin', his buddies will know who's the boss.
Terrasoul Superfoods Organic Matcha Green Tea, Ceremonial Grade
My friend JG sent me this matcha for my birthday. Love, love, love!
Clothing
Chore Coat
Nicer than fleece or performance-plastic wear, great for knocking around at the office or the weekend. Try one from ACL x Rivay or Drake's.
I have....more than one...of these hats. I mean, c'mon, they just made logos cooler back then. That Expos logo? No greater home run hit in the history of logo making. The old Hartford Whalers logo? I wasn't even a fan, but bury me in this hat.
Fitness
GORUCK Rucker 4.0, Ruck Plate Carrier, or Weight Vest
At least 5 friends have asked me about rucking in the last 6 months. This is the company, and these are the products, that started it all. Embrace the Suck.
When you’re doing the work, show that you’re doing the work.
Previous Father’s Day Gift Guides
Nice russell!