Olden Polynice: My son is ten months old and he's the happiest baby. It is
amazing that we have him. There were complications after his birth because
he was two months premature. Being there during his birth gave me a whole
different perspective. It was a wonderful experience that I believe every
man should have.
When I'm on the road, I really miss seeing him on a daily basis, but when I
am home he looks at me and I feel everything else just disappears. I know
there is somebody right there who needs me. He is my base. Everything else,
win, lose or draw, really doesn't matter.
I don't think I'm that much different than my father or even my
grandfather. My father and grandfather taught me by their actions that
family always comes first. My father made great sacrifices for his family.
He had to struggle and work hard to get us out of Haiti. My father went
alone to the United States and worked for two years to save enough money to
send for my mother. The two of them had to work for another two years
before they could send for my siblings and me. It was very hard being apart
from my father for that long.
Like any father, I have dreams for my son. I will, of course, support
anything he does, but I tend to picture him using his mind, not his body to
succeed in life. I know my job is not to choose his future for him, but
only to lay a foundation, give him choices and make sure he knows right
from wrong.
Nikolas goes to every home game. I'm not sure how much he sees or
understands, but I know he's there. When I look up and see him and
acknowledge him, right before I go out, that helps me more than anything
else.
This wonderful photography and essay is an excerpt from the book, Fathers & Sons: Photographs, Quotes and Essays with permission of the author.
The book can be purchased by clicking the title above or going to : www.amazon.com and doing a search for the author Randy Snook.