My Story (Part 2)

I have a terrible memory for most things. I marvel at friends who can remember every day, date and detail of events from decades ago, when I can barely remember what I did last week. What bothers me in particular is the extent to which I seem to have forgotten about my youth. I have certain episodes that I “remember,” but more in the repeated telling of them than in actual, clear, playback-in-my-head memories. When I meet up with old friends whose memories are more reliable, I find myself being corrected on how things really happened.

So, with that caveat out of the way, here’s how I remember my early teenage years.

Continue reading “My Story (Part 2)”

Dad-deprived Boys

Actidad is one of what I am beginning to realise is a large number of websites and podcasts aimed at the crisis of boys growing up without fathers or without good solid male role models.

Actidad

The latest edition of the Actidad podcast is a very interesting interview with Dr. Warren Farrell about what he calls “the Boy Crisis” and the findings of his decades of research into “Dad-Deprived boys.”

http://actidad.libsyn.com/012-dr-warren-farrell-impact-of-dad-deprivation

Why the Father-Son Relationship is Important

The Why Factor Podcast

Many thanks to my cousin, James McBennett, who passed on a link to this excellent BBC podcast episode, which captures exactly what Father Lessons is all about. It’s from 2018 but I swear I never heard it before today!

The difference is that I’m planning to do this is as a long series of similar interviews, but hopefully getting to know each individual’s story in a bit more depth.

Why Factor podcast
The Why Factor – Why the Father-Son Relationship is Important

Happy Father’s Day!

The family at Dublin Zoo, 1969

It’s been a bit of a mad rush to get this site launched in time for today, but I could hardly miss the opportunity to officially launch the site on Father’s Day!

So let’s send out a big Thank You to all fathers out there, and also spare a thought for those struggling with the role, for those fathers separated from their families, and for anyone missing their father on this day of all days.

My Story (Part 1)

My dad and me

( I realise as I write this that it is a largely self-indulgent exercise. It’s probably not going to be of any help, let alone much interest, to anyone who doesn’t know me. My story isn’t really all that dramatic, though at times it may have felt dramatic and certainly was traumatic to me. But I feel that if Father Lessons is going to be about anything, it has to be about openness and honesty. So for what it’s worth, here goes…)

I was your average middle class boy growing up in Ireland in the 1960s and 70s. I lived in the idyllic North Dublin suburb of Malahide, at the time still a fairly sleepy seaside town but just starting to grow rapidly as travel in and out of the nearby Dublin Airport really started to, ahem, take off. My father was a pilot with Aer Lingus and we were among the early wave of airport and airline staff families to move in.

Continue reading “My Story (Part 1)”