You know that look!
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The one that comes with a slight roll of the eyes when you force a teenager to show you how to download an app on your phone.
Of course we all know that part of a young person's journey to maturity involves the withering scorn they have to project on their oh-so-dumb parents.
I get it. I'm sure I did it myself.
And to be fair there was probably a time in their life when they thought you were infallible.
They stood wide-eyed and admired you as you erected the trampoline in the backyard (genius), set the rat traps in the roof (bravery), replaced the light bulb in their room (hero) and then as you grew older, and they grew older, your ordinariness was exposed and their disappointment was palpable.
At some point you just knew that every problem they would ever have would stem back to some failure of your own... the time you "let them down". You remember - the day you lost them in the supermarket.
They needed a reason to be disappointed in life and they chose you.
But there are these beautiful moments when the tables turn and all of a sudden you are king again for a day... or maybe an hour.
My 18-year-old son needed to send a postcard to his brother in Sydney. "So what?", you say.
Well, after much moody prevarication and general obfuscation there was the great revelation. He had never posted a letter in his life.
Had no idea how it was done .
He had to ask his old, punch drunk, dumb-as-a-dead-dog father how to do it.
Oh, I'm weeping with joy.
You know, you've got to extend these exquisite pleasures, milk them for all they're worth.
"You have to put the address on it."
"Hahahaha, not on the card son, on the envelope. You think the postman is going to take it out of the envelope to read the address... hahahaha.
Trip to the post office.
"You need to buy a stamp. Nah, I'm not doing it. Do it yourself."
"What type of stamp? Ask for one with a picture of Freddie Mercury on it."
"Hahahahaha. Just say, can I have a stamp please."
"You lick it. No, I'm not joking. No, I'm not going to do it."
"Now put it in the post box. Yeah, pull the lid towards you. Hahaha.
"Am I your hero? Nah, didn't think so."
