Save Ferris (28/02/13)

I was driving home from the dentists, as predicted the crown had come out (safely back in now thanks, £17.50 and well worth every penny as J had started to look at Shane MacGowan as a suitable alternative) and I started thinking....

I thought, 'How great is Lodger by Bowie?' Sorry but I'm on a major Bowie kick at the moment (you may well have noticed this over the last fortnight) and had been utterly appalled to realise last night that I didn't have 'Lodger' on my iPod; major oversight, but that's not what I want to talk about.

I thought about the record shop that I'd just been in (xChange on Warbreck Moor) a fine little shop with a selection of second hand vinyl at decent enough prices but not a huge amount of stuff and I was the only person in there and I didn't buy anything, I worried about how the two guys behind the desk could make a living from their shop. I hope that they do, I like record shops.

I drove past the bus stop where I kissed J for the first time as she got the bus home after our first date and I marvelled at the fact that we were once so young and so naive that getting the bus home at the end of a date seemed a sensible thing.

And (and this is the point) I drove past the park by the bus stop and I thought;

"I really miss taking the kids to the park."

And I do. Both ours are too old to be interested in going to the park with their dad now. The appeal of slides and swing and roundabouts and pirate ship style climbing frames has gone. And it won't come back.

And I miss reading to them at bedtime. If you're a parent and you're still reading the bedtime story be aware that its not a chore, it's a blessing, even if it doesn't feel it at times, and it will be gone soon. Far too soon. And if you're not a parent yet, be aware that when you are there is very little in life as enjoyable as reading Dr Seuss out loud.

Things change, things change very quickly. I remember our youngest's last day on half days at nursery, just before he changed to full days. I picked him up on my day off, took him to the park and stood in tears as I pushed him in his little swing, knowing that this was never happening like this again.

I miss that. I wish I'd taken the time to really appreciate every second as it was happening but you don't, you just live it. You get on with all the other things that you think are important, like work and getting the washing done and hoovering and dusting and you don't pay attention to your actual life.

It's the John Lennon lyric, "life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans"

And if I could give you one piece of advice (apart from, obviously, don't kill dogs) it would be this;

Pay attention to Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it"

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