4 Father s e r u g Fi LOCAL MEN REFLECT ON WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A FATHER AND TO RAISE YOUNG SONS IN THIS MOMENT IN TIME
By Paige Bowers Photography by Nick Mele
Nick Mele, Johnny, and Archer
Photographer Nick Mele says his sons, Johnny and Archer, keep him on his toes. “They have so much personality and character that I know they’re going to do something special with their lives,” he says of his children, aged 7 and 4. “My job is to make them the best version of themselves and help them avoid the big pitfalls of life.” On the family’s Instagram account, @a.social.life, Mele has captured his sons at their most impish, whether they’re climbing all over the furniture, sticking their feet in each other’s hair, pouting in a pumpkin patch, or screaming with joy. Photos of his boys also feature prominently in Mele’s new book, A Newport Summer. Mele and his wife, Molly, join in the fun—and sometimes the frustration. After all, as he says, parenting perfection is impossible. The more you try, “the more you will screw it up.” “For me, being real on that Instagram account is important,” Mele adds. “So many people are out there selling this idea of constant perfection and life isn’t that way. It’s messy and it’s hard and if you can find humor in that, great. So many people want the world to think they have it all together and there’s nothing endearing about that.” Mele’s father taught him not to worry about what other people think anyway. “I want to instill that in my children,” he says. “It’s okay not to be the same as everyone else, to be yourself, and to follow your passions.” More than anything, Mele says he and Molly just want to raise nice people. “Johnny is wild, so we try to make sure he’s as nice as possible. You can forgive a lot if people say please and thank you.”
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