I have hundreds of children

I have hundreds of children

Yes I have to admit, after all of these years I must come clean and tell the truth.

Children, so many I can’t even count, my god what did I do.

It’s not hard to explain, but important that I finally recognize, and give them due.

They were all orphans, young in spirit every one of them, and a dream and desire.

This energy is so strong when I see it, I can’t help myself but to adopt them.

Like all children they start from a beginning, they try and test the boundaries every day as they, grow, change and develop into...................something.

Something, you say, yes I can only explain it as something, well something different than what they started out as with me.

You see my children over the years, have come and gone, some stayed for longer, but always they leave.  When they leave I am normally sad, but proud that I have been able to give, given to them something very real, something tangible and hopefully something very useful for so many parts of their future life.

I laugh at times when I think back to the many, the times of their joy at learning, the magic at seeing their faces come alive when theory is put into reality. I see their frustration and anger when their minds or their bodies don’t do what the lessons explained to be.

When they are tired I let them sleep, in their deep deep sleeps that only children can do, I pick them up when they stumble and fall. When they are sick I nurse then and bring them back to health, stitch their wounds and wipe their nose. Ah the pleasure it gives me when I re-live their faces.

They have been bad, and good, smart and stupid, devious and cunning, and they always come thinking they can rule the world, I love this naive arrogance that comes with youth. Ah, but they have taken a crafty old father to help them along, there’s not many tricks that I haven’t seen, but I am always stay open to seeing a new trick or two, but their games don’t last too long before I see through the smoke.

Every moment is a chance at learning, from dawn to dusk, and all through the night. They wake me at all hours with questions and demands, in my sleep I can answer most of them, but it’s me that they want to soften the blows when its knocking on their doors.

Like most youth, the more that you give, the more that they want, when you get to your limits and your down on your strength, they don’t recognize it at all, they just expect and demand more. My god they can tear you a part.

The game of learning is a game for both, you teach to their ability and their knowledge, let them practice and be pleased, then recommence the next steps of the game, push them at times when the game gets quite fierce, let them relax and be at ease when there’s time to just shoot the breeze.

There are rules to this game, but they should never be too complex, the art of all games, is to teach simplicity. There’s not a subject or a task that cant get broken down in parts, keep it simple and don’t be stupid, wise teachers never do.

So my children you have heard me speak, I am proud to have been a father to you all, whether it has been for a day, or many years that some have stayed, you have all given me something to think, something that has stretched me once more and that has rewarded me with pleasure and new life perspectives.

A true father I may never be, but I think that the role I have played has been ample for my days, but that role may never finish, I hope my wisdom continues to grow.

Stephen and my life time of crew