I generally avoid highly topical subjects on here because they’re already
getting overkill coverage elsewhere, but a revelation in the news this week has caused
me to totally rethink something. I’m
going to have to amend my ‘Fantasy Dads’ list.
I must make it clear that there isn’t anything awful about my real dad; he’s
a good-hearted man and really rather quaint, it’s just that he lives on another
planet. To be honest, I’ve come to think
over recent years that he actually has a mild degree of Asperger’s Syndrome (he's that 'mathematical genius who couldn't boil an egg' type) so it’s
not his fault that he forgets my birthday and moved house without passing on
his ‘phone number. I’ve even had reason to question if he really is my biological father – but that’s another story for
another time. Maybe.
Anyway, without wishing to do him too much of a disservice, his lack of
involvement in my life left a void and it had to be filled.... with fantasy
dads. Dads who’d inspire, offer words of
wisdom, be creative, make me laugh and perhaps lend me £10k now and then. And I was quite happy with my list of perceived paternal greatness, which has
remained unchanged for some years. Here’s how it goes, in no particular order:
Michael Palin
David Attenborough
Billy Connolly
Tony Hart
and then there was….
...a certain Australian entertainer, artist and animal lover.
Oh shit.
Ron Wood: old enough to be my dad ;-)
