Port Colborne author hopes to inspire fathers and sons
There's a certain guidance only a father can give a son.
For Jacob, who grew up without a father, having an authority figure just wasn't an option. As a child, Jacob's father had left the family, leaving his mother to raise him. So when it came to finding someone to look up to, the only option around was his neighbour, Jim, who filled the paternal role in order to bring the 17-year-old teen from boyhood into manhood.
That is the concept of A Man's Work Is Never Done: A Novel about Mentoring Our Sons, a published creative non-fiction work by Port Colborne author Jim Cloughley.
"Most women may jump in and say, 'Excuse me' when they first read the title," said Cloughley, who spent 20 years in the field of social work as an addiction counsellor. "I've seen lots of kids out there who come from similar scenarios but different circumstances. I recognize that only a father can influence a son into the world." That conclusion is based on Cloughley's experiences as a counsellor talking to many young men who he says tell the same story. Using his real life experiences and observations, Cloughley was able to translate them into the tale.
"I was a single parent for many years to a son and daughter," Cloughley said. "I could never understand what it's like to be a female, so I couldn't coach my daughter the right way. I was able to understand and raise my son. I'm proud of both my kids."
It took Cloughley 14 months to write the manuscript for "A Man's Work Is Never Done." He said the book centres around four cornerstones that readers can relate to: criticism of children, anger, relationships and parenting. Cloughley himself is a character in the book. The other three characters are based on composites of real people in his life.
The author said in the last two generations of people he's noticed a lack of fatherly guides. Cloughley said if boys aren't brought up by their fathers, they learn about life through their facets such as the Internet, friends or gangs. He said men are confused about the roles they play in the world. Cloughley said men are just as responsible to build the foundations of a family as women.
Cloughley said he hoped his book can inspire others to mentor the younger generation.