Fathers and Sons

I am the son of my father. It took me all my adult life to come to this conclusion. No, I am not adopted or anything like that. Even though I have been told that I was by ill intentioned relatives. But I never believed that.
It started with the little things. The sound of my voice when I said thank you. The nodding of the head when greeting a stranger. Hey, this reminds me of someone. Of course, it was him. My father. For better or worse he was in me.
But in other ways I am not at all like him. Like Prince sang "Maybe I'm just like my mother, she's never satisfied".
Whatever it is, never spite your parents. You are what they are. Unless you are adopted. Then you are are truly blessed. For you will not have the same character flaws and predispositions as them. And for that be thankful as you are on a clean slate.

Ferguson and Mahathir

Two wily old foxes. In the hot seat for 22 years. Leaving behind a staggering legacy. But never groomed a sucessor. Both wanted to quit and then backtracked. One was bored and the other was cajoled. One kept losing his number 2's. The other made sure they were emasculated.
Now in their twilight years. One looks forward to a glorious May. The other keeps throwing stones at glass houses. Who would you rather be? I want to be in Moscow. Not at home watching Nero fiddle while Rome burns...

Shout when you are winning

What is it about football that affects the temperament of a fan. With my Red Hot Devils on course for a double triumph in the weeks ahead, I am starting to feel the uneasy calm before the proverbial storm. What if we end the season with nothing to show for all the praises and adulation heaped on the team and Cristiano Ronaldo in particular.
Somehow, that is a real possibility and what makes it even more disturbing is that we could end up losing on both fronts to Chelski.
I don't know about other games, but somehow when my team does badly I let it affect me quite badly to the extent that depression sets in. So enjoy it while it lasts, shout when you are winning but slip quietly out the door when you lose. I can't be like Ferguson. Set up a guard of honor for your opponents. Maybe more like Mourinho. At the first sign of trouble, jump ship. But count your roubles first. Every last one of them.