Tuesday 8 July 2008

Warning - this is not about alpacas.

Sue and I came to be parents relatively late in life, indeed Angus was an IVF baby and is about as special as it is possible to be. He is now 5 and a half years old and is excelling at everything he does. I regularly practically burst with pride.

Anyway the reason I mention this is that he still has the capacity to surprise the whatnots off me on a daily basis. I mentioned in an earlier blog that he thought I was the coolest person he knew.

Now folks, you would have to stretch your imagination beyond the realms of all that is factual to reach the place whereby I can be described as cool. Angus, however, thinks I am.
That's my boy.

Last night we were doing what we always do on a Monday evening when Top Gear is on television.

I record the Sunday night show and then Angus and I, father and son, sit down after his bath and watch the previous nights programme.

Angus munches on fruit and cheese, I sip wine, Chardonnay it was last night.

We laugh, we applaud, we shout at the television, we high five, we just love it. Jezza, Hamster and Captain Slow are great entertainment and we just lap it up. We also watch the repeats regularly, we don't mind, Top Gear is fab and we love it. I expect you have the picture by now.

Anyway last night there we were sitting side by side on the sofa watching the programme.

They got to the part when they have two celebrities on to take the crap car round the Top Gear circuit.
Jezza said that he was catering for the minorities as he introduced the two guests as a welshman and a fat man.

Angus turned to me and said 'Dad you're welsh!'. 'Yes I am son and I am also fat, how about that!' I replied.

Angus imediately turned to look at me with a puzzled look on his face. 'No you're not Dad, you're not fat'.

Do you know what, he really meant it when he said it. I saw him look me up and down, his gaze pausing for a second on my not inconsiderable tum. In his eyes I don't think he saw it as anything other than a large muscular stomach.
He looked at me again a moment later, shook his head and said 'No' with a chuckle of disbelief as he returned to watching Top Gear.

So why am I telling you this, I don't know really, it plainly has nothing to do with alpacas. I think it's to share an experience that most, if not all parents can relate to. The bond between child and parent is an amazing phenomena. I am still struggling to comprehend the magnitude of it.

Maybe I'm thinking about it too much. Maybe I think too much, full stop.

Maybe I just like thinking and writing about it because in the world of father and son I am not overweight, no not at all, I am also the coolest person in the world.

4 comments:

Gerry said...

I'm getting to be quite a regular commenter am I not?! But I couldn't miss commenting on this one as a fellow follicly challenged and slightly rotund Celtic dad. Angus sounds like a lovely wee boy - you should be proud you've brought him up so well. Gerry, Coire Alpacas

Patou Alpacas said...

Gerry,
I feel the need to partake of a wee dram in your company.
May it happen one day soon!

Mark

Gerry said...

Aye Mark maybe a wee Highland Park or if we need a bit of the old west coast sea spray a Laphroaig or my personal fave which speaks to me of the tumbling Spey - Cragganmore. Slainte Mhah - Gerry, Coire Alpacas

Anonymous said...

that's a great photo