Miguel Vasquez met the mother of his daughter when they were in first grade. However, these childhood sweethearts' story didn't go exactly as planned.
The two officially started dating in high school, but just three months into their relationship, they got pregnant. When Miguel found out, he was more than a little shocked.
"It was kind of terrifying," Miguel says. "You know, like panic."
Suddenly he had to go from playing video games and hanging with friends, like a typical teenager, to finding a regular job and buying all the supplies you need to care for a baby.
It was an adjustment to say the least.
However, once their baby girl, Aaliyah, came into the world, Miguel was over the moon about her.
"I went into being a father unprepared," Miguel said. "I didn't know what I was getting myself into, but I wouldn't change it for the world, because my little girl's my everything, you know?"
Miguel and Aaliyah. Photo via Miguel Vasquez.
That said, there was still so much about being a dad that left him feeling ill-equipped, especially when he and his girlfriend started having problems.
They had some help from their families and were attending New Futures High School, which specializes in educating teen parents. But when they decided to split up and things like visitation rights started getting thrown around, Miguel didn't know how to proceed.
Thankfully an organization called Fathers New Mexico came to their high school and offered to mentor any young fathers who were feeling overwhelmed.
Miguel connected with executive director Johnny Wilson to learn more. Soon, he was going to weekly meetings and workshops, where fathers come together, ask any questions they want, talk about issues they're dealing with, and get some much-needed advice.
According to Johnny, that's the heart of what the organization does — it gives young fathers a safe space where they can open up and learn.
"It ends up being a group of guys sitting around … that are able to see one another become comfortable with some vulnerability, they're able to hear each other," Johnny explains.
Eventually, many of them get to a place where they're confronting the things that scare them the most about being a father. Often it comes down to a lack of control.
This idea of letting go and allowing oneself to be vulnerable flies in the face of traditional masculine stereotypes to which many men still adhere. The problem with that is when men close themselves off to their own emotions, it breeds toxic masculinity, which can in turn lead to serious mental and physical issues.
In fact, a recent study by Lancet Public Health found single fathers are more than twice as likely to die prematurely than single mothers. It's hard not to see the correlation there.
What's more, teen parents in general get a lot of flack from society for "making poor choices," which, needless to say, doesn't help them become better parents.
Fathers New Mexico works against societal judgment and tries to show young dads they're capable of being amazing parents, no matter their age.
"We [have to] look at [them] without that concept of blame and as people who may be victims themselves that we can give support and tools to," Johnny says.
They've given that and more to dads like Miguel. Aside from providing a variety of weekly group meetings, Johnny makes himself available to chat one-on-one with them.
"They're really hands on," Miguel says.
Not only has the organization given him the space and tools to express himself better, Johnny has helped him assemble paperwork so he can apply for visitation rights to see his daughter.
The group is willing to go above and beyond to let these fathers know they're not alone in their parenting journey and that it's more than OK to have a lot of questions.
This promotion of healthy masculinity shouldn't start after a man becomes a father. That's why Fathers New Mexico strives to educate younger boys too.
Photo via Fathers New Mexico, used with permission.
It's called the Future Men Project, and it aims to start a dialogue about masculinity and making healthy choices with boys who have yet to become parents but are at risk. The project meets in small groups once a week to offer middle-school boys a new perspective on what their future could look like. They discuss how society currently views manhood and what needs to change about that as well as self-perceptions and personal relationships.
The hope is that by starting these conversations young, it'll make sharing feelings more inherent in boys, which will in turn make them more emotionally tuned-in men.
It's wonderful that the men in Fathers New Mexico are learning to emote and ask questions as they navigate fatherhood. It would be even more wonderful if they felt like they could do that in the first place.
But until that becomes the norm, there are places like Fathers New Mexico that remind men that strength doesn't come from hiding your feelings — it comes from being brave enough to share them.
"Now your fishes will be warmed."
"To have one’s eyes lined with ham."
"To lay your head in water."
"Repetition teaches the donkey."
"I only understand train station."
"To speak directly from the liver."
"Horse horse, tiger tiger."
Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Medusa image of giant squid in Gulf of Mexico off of Mississippi Gulf CoastPhoto credit: 
Sign warning against feeding alligators next to alligator in Mississippi marshlandsCourtesy of Jacalyn Wetzel
Mississippi Gulf Coast beach in BiloxiCourtesy of Jacalyn Wetzel
2009 photo of giant squid caught in Gulf of Mexico near Mississippi GulfPhoto credit: 
Thank goodness this story has a happy ending.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."