Dad Of The Month!

Cort Horner

Where do you live?
West Linn, Oregon.

What is your profession?
Mortgage Loan Officer.

What is your education level?
B.A. in Chinese with an emphasis in International Marketing. Really.

What are your hobbies/interests?
Fishing and hunting top the list, really any outdoor sports I can enjoy with the family.

What do you drive?
2002 Chevrolet Avalanche 2500. Great truck.

What are you reading?
Four Pillars of a Man’s Heart by Stu Weber. Highly recommended for any Dad, this is my third time re-reading it. It brings me back to center every time. That, and of course Sports Illustrated and online, the Drudge Report -- to find out what’s REALLY going on in the world.

What music are you listening to?
Always a mixed bag. I grew up with and still love country music, and am a huge Grateful Dead fan as well. Classic rock like Zeppelin, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and AC/DC when the mood strikes me.

What's the last movie you saw? How would you rate it?
Good Lord, I can’t remember. With three kids, there’s a good chance Dreamworks was involved. On video, I just watched The Hangover a week or so ago. Very funny flick.

What do you think makes a good parent?
I think a good parent recognizes that they have to mix equal parts love, teaching, and discipline -- often all of them several times a day. A good parent is also aware of the brain development of each of their kids, recognizes they may all view my / our actions in a different way, and isn’t hesitant to honestly discuss life as appropriate for their ages.

How long have you been married?
I have been married to my beautiful wife Julianne since August 19th, 1995. And I didn’t have to look that up... She’s my wife, partner, best friend, and a fantastic mom. I couldn’t ask for more.

Kids names and ages?
Nina, 12 years old. Ty, 9 years old. Emma, 7 years old (and going on 26!)

Describe your favorite family vacation?
One where we can spend time together, throw some learning into the mix, try something we all have never done -- but never schedule anything unless we have to. I love being spontaneous with the kids and Julianne on vacation.

Your thoughts on being a Dad?
The toughest, most fun, and most rewarding job ever. Ever. It’s important to me to be able to tuck the kids in every night and tell them I love them.

How do you juggle family and work?
I had a job before Nina was born that had me traveling 3-4 weeks a month, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Once she came along however, home was definitely where the heart was and I transitioned into a new position. I’ve never regretted it.

What's your favorite thing to do with your children?
So many things -- coach their sports, play the Wii with them when time allows (they always seem to find more time for it than I do) and just talk to them one on one when tucking them in at night. I like to hear what they’re thinking and to counsel them if they ask for it.

What advice would you give to new or soon-to-be dads?
Wow...it’s been a while! If you can, get a saddle tank for your patience meter. You’re about to enter (or just did) the most soul-searching, mind-numbing, rewarding and challenging time of your life. Your priorities are going to change -- embrace it. The strain can seem huge at times, but the rewards are incredible. And you get MAJOR BONUS POINTS if you can wake up once in a while to take that 2:00 AM feeding. Keep in mind too that that crazy woman you dealt with for the 9 months prior to welcoming your new blessing is still in there somewhere, but it’s going to take another 9 months afterward for the craziness to dissipate. Lesson learned on that one.

What lessons have you learned from your own dad?
Family first, last, and always.

How do you define your role in your family?
I go back to question 6 -- it defines this better than I could have put into words. I won’t give it all away, because you really should read this book. There are Four Pillars: King, Warrior, Mentor, and Friend. Seriously...get the book.

Do you think the role of Dads today is different than a generation ago? If so, How?
Yes and no. We still have the traditional roles as provider, husband, and dad -- but the lines have blurred in other areas. Moms are often breadwinners now too, sometimes the primary breadwinner. We live in an age where we unfortunately need to be more aware of what our kids are doing on a daily, hourly basis than ever before. What they’re doing, what they’re learning, what they’re reading -- we need to bring them an adult perspective and keep them safe now more than ever in my opinion.

How do you think the mainstream media portrays Dads? Do you think that portrayal is accurate? What, if anything, would you tell the media about involved Dads?
Frankly, I think the MSM’s portrayal of Dads nowadays sucks. We are portrayed as followers, players, weaklings, old-fashioned bigots / racists / sexists, and worse. It’s disappointing, which is one of the reasons I’m very grateful that you’ve come up with Dadsworld, Rick. I hope it grows beyond your wildest expectations and shows people that we Dads are actually pretty good, strong, positive role models to our kids, family, and society. Involved dads are everywhere -- if the media would like a REAL story that would draw people’s attention, they should find a few of them.

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