Rules for My Unborn Son

Raising a boy in today's world is not easy.  Masculinity is criticized and frowned upon.  The political correctness of the world doesn't allow boys to be rambunctious boys.  The educational system brands such as having attention issues and 'too much energy'.   Truth be told, some good old fashioned recess and physical activity takes care of much.   One of The most impactful societal issues in today's world is that by not creating strong boys- we have to repair broken men.  The travesty of our time- paid forward.

Only God knows why I was never blessed with a son, my wife and I still think that our miscarriage in 2002 was our son to be...  

I saw this list and wondered if I would every get the chance to share this with my son.  While that ship has sailed, I hope to one day be able to share this wisdom with a grandson or other young man who might benefit from it.

Rules for my Unborn Son:

1. Never shake a man’s hand sitting down. 2. There are plenty of ways to enter a pool. The stairs ain’t one. 3. The man at the grill is the closest thing we have to a king. 4. In a negotiation, never make the first offer. 5. Act like you’ve been there before. Especially in the end zone. 6. Request the late check-out. 7. When entrusted with a secret, keep it. 8. Hold your heroes to a higher standard. 9. Return a borrowed car with a full tank of gas. 10. Don’t fill up on bread. 11. When shaking hands, grip firmly and look him in the eye. 12. Don’t let a wishbone grow where a backbone should be. 13. If you need music on the beach, you’re missing the point. 14. Carry two handkerchiefs. The one in your back pocket is for you. The one in your breast pocket is for her. 15. You marry the girl, you marry her whole family. 16. Be like a duck. Remain calm on the surface and paddle like crazy underneath. 17. Experience the serenity of traveling alone. 18. Never be afraid to ask out the best looking girl in the room. 19. Never turn down a breath mint. 20. In a game of HORSE, sometimes a simple free throw will get ’em. 21. A sport coat is worth 1000 words. 22. Try writing your own eulogy. Never stop revising. 23. Thank a veteran


~Lou Sandoval is an entrepreneur whose successful career transcends over 17 years of Fortune 100 experience parlayed into business ownership. Lou believes in giving back to his community and has been involved in the Boy Scouts of America's leadership. He serves on a few non-profit and professional boards. Opinions expressed here are solely personal and not a representation of any of the organizations with which he may be affiliated.