Andrew Riutta and his daughter IssabellaEach week, we’ll hear a new This I Believe essay – this time from Andrew Riutta. Raised to be tough on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Riutta’s ancestors were farmers, miners and lumberjacks – and he followed them into similar jobs. Riutta believed he could muscle his way out of any problem and around any obstacle, until he learned that his girlfriend was pregnant, Riutta responded by saying he didn’t want to be a father. But her determination to have the baby anyway gave Riutta the courage to face his inner demons and embrace the gentle side of being a true man. Riutta says fatherhood is the hardest job he’s had, and that it has softened his disposition and rounded his rough edges. He still lives in northern Michigan with his 11-year-old daughter.
Click here to read a transcript and to listen to his essay.
Click here for guidelines to submit your own statement of beliefs.