Since our ancestors first developed into separate sexes, fatherhood has been the driving force of our existence. Until man awoke to sentience, we had no purpose for existing besides making tiny copies of ourselves. Arguably, procreation is the only thing mankind hasn’t managed to screw up. When our cities are folded back into the earth, other species may take up the mantle of civilization, if only to finally realize our planet’s greatest purpose: to spread the seed of life to the stars, because nature is really, really horny.

But what a strange responsibility, this fatherhood thing. It’s the final argument against selfishness; the responsibilities of raising a new human overwhelm any excuse a man has for his shortcomings. It’s hard work—or so I’ve heard. I’ve been too scared shitless by the idea to give it a go.

That’s why this week on Dethroner I’ll be stepping into the background a bit. I ain’t a daddy. Instead I’ve asked several of you fathers to share your experiences, your tips, and your ball-freezing fears. We’ll be talking about the reasons why you decided to take the leap, how it’s changed your life, fun projects to work on with your kids, and the things you wish you could have done differently.

To lead the charge I’d like to introduce Josh Kimball, who by trade writes about media and technology consumers for Iconoculture (and on the side at the Celebrity Hairstyles blog.) Josh has, “after years of preparation and months of study,” been a father for exactly 20 days. (Congratulations, Josh!)

More than usual—and not just because I’m supremely unqualified to write about the experiences of fatherhood—I really hope you take a moment to pass on your tips and stories this week. If you have something you’d like to get on Dethroner, drop me a line. Even if you just have the seed of what you’d like to say, I’d be happy to take the time to help you write it up to put in front of everyone else.

If you have a tip or a story idea for Dethroner, please feel free to send a tip or drop us a line on AIM, or just add it in directly to this week’s schedule on the wiki. (Edit password available upon request.) In addition to theme-related links, we also welcome regular submissions to Ask Dethroner and Dapper or Crapper?. Upcoming themes are available for your perusal and suggestion on our Planning Commission Wiki.

Image courtesy Hummanna’s Flickr stream. Thanks, Anna!.