Gen X Journey

I was going to do one of those self congratulatory posts for my first back from my unplanned blogging bludge break.

This is what I had in mind. Gorgeous filtered photos (I got an iPhone while I was gone). There were going to be glamour shots of a stunning Father’s Day picnic organised in honour of Mr GenX. Perfectly presented food, stunning background, smiling faces. Oh you wish you were me. (I tend to get carried away with myself.)

Well you can see that I got one in. That was the champagne and oysters. Shame neither is Mr GenX’s cup of tea (or stubby of beer). However I was looking after moi. Miss GenY was in charge of the picnic for her father. There were grand plans for a quiche (which she got me to do–check), brownies (which she’d made the day before), bruschetta, potato salad–a veritable feast.

But she went partying the night before, forgot to text me the promised shopping list, also forgot to text her father to say Happy Father’s Day, burnt the bruschetta and made a potato salad not up to her usual standard.

To say I was annoyed at her was an understatement–nothing to do with denying me my fancy feast fantasy, more to do with the fact that she’d let her father down. And that the whole bloody picnic thing was her idea.

Needless to say a fun day was not had by all. Cirque Soleil was playing next door to the park. Everytime an act finished the clapping sounded like dropped marbles on a tile floor, made my teeth dance in my jaw. Melodramatic music added to the drama of the family tableau.

Miss GenY lay face down on a blanket–hung over much? I sat there with my nose buried in a newspaper only coming up to swig champers while swinging between barbed comments and ignoring my daughter. And Mr GenX? Well he tried to play peacemaker. He played with the dog. Happy father’s day.

Anyway all this got me thinking about how we take family for granted. I know I do.
My dad passed away almost 11 years ago after succumbing to cancer. He was only 56.

So my photo tribute is not to fancy food and showing off perfect plating. It’s to my dad on a Father’s Day that he never had. He would not be impressed that his dial is all over my blog (but he’d be pretty happy that he’s looking so young and handsome). That’s my younger brother Matt and I in the photos with him. Unfortunately Matt passed away four years ago with a brain aneurysm.

I think I’ll go make peace with my daughter. I’ll own up. I’ve turned up to plenty of family functions very, very merry.

Happy Father’s Day.