I wrote the essay linked here (at my Medium page) about a decade ago. I was thinking about the song “Independence Day,” from The River, from the standpoint of age. “Independence Day” was written by Bruce Springsteen as a nod to rebellion. It is an explanation to his father outlining how their relationship went bad, arguing that the singer’s arrival at manhood required the tension and escape.
The song always hit me, because of my own battles with my father. But the perspective of age shifted my stance some (though not completely.
The essay appeared in Gateways, an anthology of work from my fellow alumni in the Fairleigh Dickinson University creative writing MFA program. (Purchase here.)