18/10/2020
My father used to read me stories. One of the most enduring were about Brer Rabbit using his intelligence to survive against very powerful adversaries.
I didn't realise it at the time, I doubt he did either, but he set up preframes with me that I've used over the rest of my life.
Have a think about the empowering preframes that you have in your life that were set in your early childhood. You might be surprised by the resources you have available.
My thinking about this has led me, recently, to sleep far more soundly than I have for a long time.
the link to Chapter three of the is below. Click through, have a read and let us know about the preframes you have that help you.
The describes my father in the later part of his life. This was at the stage where he had honed his comedy genius into a superhero feat. But he was always a superhero. I was just too young to properly realise.
My father spent time reading to me when I was a child. I think one of the reasons I have such a passion for stories, science and engineering is because from before I can remember my father and I read together a lot.
Look and Learn was a children’s magazine that had articles, stories and cartoons about everything a young lad could ever be interested in. But one of my favourites at bedtime were the stories about Brer Rabbit.
Mythologically these stories were about a trickster using his skills to survive against a much more powerful adversary. At the time, although I wouldn’t realise it for years to come, had a deep significance to me.
For years I went to sleep to the calming voice of my father telling me stories about how Brer Rabbit would save himself and often his family against Brer Fox, Bear and Wolf using just his guile, wit and intelligence.
Even for years after my father stopped reading to me in bed I still fell asleep to my memories of him reading those stories to me in bed. They made me feel safe. Not just because my father was close and looking over me but because the stories he told were teaching me how I can overcome larger, predatory threats just using my smarts.
Recently I've been thinking back over these memories.
I can remember my father’s voice as he read these stories to me. But much more importantly I could remember how I felt and how it made me fall asleep. The last few nights have been the best night's sleep that I have had for an age.
I think the idea of protecting his son was huge in my father although in later life it manifested in calling out roundabouts and ensuring I have an umbrella with me. Or Lemsips if I had forgotten the umbrella.
The link to Chapter Three of the is below.
Click through and find out more. And if this brings up memories of the people that made you feel warm, secure, safe or empowered to take on life using your wits, guile and intelligence then tell them.
If they are anything like my father it will confuse and irritate them. But it is an experience worth having.
Click through the link below to read about my father in later life when he has replaced the trickster rabbit with umbrellas and Lemsips.
