Sins…

The success of this blog will depend on its tone.

It is a subject I am most often asked about and one which does feature in my writing but only by implication.

Pride is something we should be mindful of. It is one of the seven deadly sins and with good reason. Up there with sloth, greed, gluttony, wrath, envy, and lust, although I argue that pride is a sin of degrees. A degree of pride is a good thing but too much is ugly. So a balance is required, but this is not an easy thing to strike and particularly when it is a parent talking about their kids.

We have all been bored rigid by proud parents espousing about their brilliant kids. So bright, first in class, the quarter back, the captain, the lead in the play…

Height is an area of peculiar pride for some parents’ which amuses me and makes me yawn in equal measure. Surely, pride is most appropriate for achievements that require effort and practise and not just by growing. Being capable to do things that others can’t, like play tennis, the piano or speak languages.

At school I most admired boys in the following descending order; the sportsmen, the clever kids and the few boys who could paint and draw and probably because despite my enthusiasm for all three pursuits, I was not successful at any of them.

Some kids from my school went on to play professional football. Eddie Newton played for Chelsea and Kevin Gallen turned out for Queens Park Rangers. Some kids went on to Oxbridge and no doubt have entered the professions and done well for themselves. But art is an area much more difficult to forge a career path because it is subjective and so prone to fashions, trends and patronage.

The penniless/starving artist has always been a thing. Vincent Van Gogh springs to mind and gets a mention in this blog for two weeks in a row. You need only 5 minutes on Instagram to see the welter of talented artists touting their wares and I expect for not much return.

You might be wondering where this is all going…

When am I going to talk about my parental pride and specifically for my eldest son?

I am proud of all my boys and their varying achievements, perhaps made easier by having a surname which Tom has made so much more valuable.

But I am most proud of how my boys are rather…

This blog continues on my Patreon and marks an end to my free weekly writing. It’s been more than 20 years and time I feel to do something different to reflect my time and effort. It might be that I post complete blogs on here periodically, perhaps monthly. But all my further weekly blogs and other exclusive content like videos of my podcast Takes on Life will continue on my Patreon where there is a vibrant community who I know personally. 

The podcast, Takes on Life will continue for free. 

To all my hundreds of thousands of readers across the world, it’s been fun entertaining you, if a little wearing and now I need more than just stats.

I expect some of you will join me on my busy and lively Patreon where you will be very welcome.

Thank you.