Preparing Your Son for Every Man's Battle

Introduction
I saw Ben not long ago on a bright, crisp autumn Thursday in Iowa. Ben is a business client of mine from Mason City. I see Ben exactly once a year when he places his annual order with me. Our actual business takes but a minute or two, and then we're off to talking about more important things--kids and boats and golf, topics that middle-aged Midwestern fathers like to talk about.
When Ben inquired about my son Jasen, his eyes lit up when I told him that my oldest child was enjoying his freshmen year at Iowa State University, which happened to be Ben's alma mater. "How 'bout those Cyclones?" Ben asked, proud that his football team was having a banner season.
We jabbered on about Iowa State football and the big game coming up on the weekend. "Yeah, I'm taking my son Derek down to see the Texas Tech game on Saturday," Ben said. "I usually go down to Ames for one game each year, and I really