Bret Stephens: Thanksgiving Gratitude for a Fathers Lesson
The New York Times:
Many years ago, I committed an offense for which famous men are now being publicly, and rightly, shamed. I patted an office secretary on her behind. I wont offer the usual lame defense that I didnt know my advance was unwanted or that social attitudes were different back then.
My only excuse is that at the time of the incident I was about 7 years old.
I remember the moment because of what happened immediately afterward. The secretary, who worked at my fathers business in Mexico City, turned around and slammed a heavy stack of papers on my head. I marched indignantly over to my dads office to report her behavior only so that he could march me over to her desk and have me apologize. He followed that up with a stern warning never to do anything of the sort again.
I dont remember the secretarys name. But what a service she did me by giving me a knock Ill never forget, one that took courage and self-respect considering I was her bosss son. What a service, too, that my dad defended her and gave me the talking-to that he did. Its a lesson every boy should get loud, clear, and early from a male role model.