Why Is a Lubbock Man Disrespecting His Friend’s New Baby Boy?

There's nothing more joyful than the arrival of a newborn. You feel proud for the parents and hope for this new life. This is especially true if you're a lifelong friend of one of the parents. You can’t help but feel a sense of pride for their happiness...most of the time.

This might make me a bad person, but that's not where I am right now. I kind of feel, well, like I’m watching a documentary on West Virginia or something.

Over the weekend, one of my oldest friends and his girlfriend welcomed a baby boy. But that’s not the story.  My friend is 55 years old, a few months older than I am. He has grown daughters and even grandchildren. And he's now a new father once more to a child out of wedlock.

His girlfriend turned baby mama is maybe 22 or 23 years old.

A 55-year-old grandfather and a 23-year-old first-time mother. Can you just hear the banjos?!

No, he and the baby mama are not married. In fact, my friend is even a few years older than his baby mama's now-deceased father. It just seems, you know…odd.

Can you say, daddy issues?

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My friends are full of congratulations and messages of support. However, I don’t think I’ve actually yet used the word "congratulations" or even "good job" because I think the whole situation is just….screwy. Again, he’s 55 with grandchildren and she's 23 and infatuated with my geeky elderly friend. Yes, she loves him. So much that she would want to have his child, but again…he's FIFTY FREAKING FIVE AND OLDER THAN HER DEAD FATHER.

This is a therapist's wet dream.

I feel like I'm watching an episode of Ozark, only without the money laundering and heroin.

…am I wrong?

Probably, but it’s still a little weird to me.

Again, I love my friend. I’ve known this man for 40 years and I’m REALLY not cool with the fact that he knocked up a 20-something because he has this fantasy of still being 23 himself. And we have to be happy about it? Yeah, ummm, okay?

I feel like I’m on a non-stop Geraldo episode, and I've actually been on the Geraldo show. I feel conflicted for the hope that this new baby boy will have a wonderful future. I feel like it’s going to be a long road. I just don’t see this being an easy road with a mother who's infatuated with someone who is probably going to be dead before their son is old enough to drink.

Yeah, that's harsh. And it’s probably going to cost me a lifelong friendship But I'm really having a hard time with this.

And I’m probably wrong.