Our son realises that he doesn’t naturally fit into this world. Certainly not in its current format. His attitude is basically

I might wait for the world to come round to my way of thinking but just in case I had better dip my toe in the icy cold water which is the big bad world. It’s something I’m not going to enjoy but it’s probably worth it….

As part of this process we have agreed to visit 12 new places this year. Doesn’t sound a big commitment but in-fact it’s huge for our son. We will have our first new excursion next week….

Tonight we started discussing potential places to visit but somehow the conversation careered off topic. It suddenly became name 12 things you like about you and your life.

I went first and it was a really uncomfortable experience. I do find it difficult to think constructively about myself these days. So much easier thinking about negatives. Anyway for someone who basically hates himself I kinda did ok

  1. Son
  2. Memory of my partner
  3. Family
  4. Pets
  5. Friends
  6. My eyelashes
  7. I am pretty fit
  8. I occasionally can be mildly funny
  9. Musical taste
  10. Decent imagination
  11. I’m kinda resilient
  12. I’m still here

Son went next with his 12 things he likes about his life

  1. Family
  2. Jimmy – Dog
  3. Bluey – Cat
  4. The gerbils I am going to get for my birthday (mad scramble – news to his dad)
  5. My dreams (don’t care if people think it’s not right for me to have dreams, I still dream)
  6. My house
  7. I’m funny (don’t care if lots of people think otherwise I still think I’m funny)
  8. I’m cool (don’t care if lots of people think otherwise I still think I’m cool)
  9. I’m clever (don’t care if lots of people think otherwise I still think I’m clever)
  10. I’m tall
  11. My memory (don’t care if lots of people think otherwise I still think I have a good memory)
  12. My ambition to be a scientist or a zookeeper or a wrestler or a goalkeeper or a falconer or a historian (don’t care if people think I can’t do these things …)

I think this reveals that he is quite comfortable with himself. The problem is that he doesn’t have that much faith in the outside world. I could go on but GERBILS are a pressing concern……

88 thoughts on “12 uncomfortable things”

  1. He’s an amazing young man. Kids can be cruel. Done because they were not taught better. Some just because they do not understand. It’s unfortunate some adults are this way too. As long as he believes in himself, he can and will make everyone take notice.

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  5. I sounds to me like he has a healthy opinion of himself. Good for him..Now dad, let the son be the teacher!!! Obviously, lots of people think you are great as they take the time to read your blog every day and to comment as well!

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  8. He is so fortunate to have a parent who accepts, understands and values him. I can think of dyslexic and / or Aspergers people who have not had this support as children. Good luck with the gerbils. i have heard they can be irritable – and then they bite people.

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  15. I’m with your son – i have very little faith in the ‘outside world’. Certainly not the parts i see on the stupid gogglebox/social media/youtube aspects anyway. It saddens me greatly that after 5000 years of so-called ‘civilisation’ we are about as civil to each other generally as we were when we first built a town, maybe less-so? Maybe because we are mostly led by morons and it ‘trickles down’.

    I also like your son’s quote! you could let him know that there are a great number of people who think exactly what he said. it’s unlikely, given human history, that the world will come around to his ( our) way of thinking and we do need to try dipping our toe in and there may well be a lot of things we don’t like, but we can find some compensations – wonderful ones, and if we are that lucky, maybe even find someone wonderful to experience them with for a time – however long we are lucky enough to do so.

    If the worst comes to the worst we can always live as a hermit! 😉

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      1. Such an overwhelming temptation at times!

        When you get to my age you begin to realise that as bad as it is, you probably would not be able to run it any better yourself – it may even be worse if you tried?

        Finding an acceptable balance is the trick – it won’t be the same thing for everyone.

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      4. Thank you for the warning. 🙂 I confess to being A-ware of it yet not so wary as i probably should be.

        Just to be clear though, what specifically, in my many comments above, sparked your advice??

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  16. Pingback: 12 uncomfortable things – A Dad trying to cope with the loss of his Partner and becoming a single parent. – International Badass Activists

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