Arthur Benton is in da house – and some post-baby philosophy!

WP_20140130_005He’s arrived, my second child, the once and future king. Arthur weighs 4.2 kilograms and is 56 centimetres tall. These impressive statistics suggest he won’t be called on to play the hobbit in twenty years if they remake the film. Arthur will tower over his 6 foot 2 dad. There’s still time for me to prepare ingenious ways to beat Arthur in sports where height is an advantage. I will design a basketball hoop that possesses an invisible, ball-blocking barrier activated by a remote control (conveniently located in my pocket). Backyard basketball matches will be mine for all eternity!

Life trumps art, every time. Life inspires art. One look at my beautiful family and the metaphors start to flow, the plots thicken. Spending time with loved ones also puts things into perspective. It helps to reset the compass after a bad day.

Peppa Pig (my oldest boy’s favourite show) puts things into perspective too. It should be mandatory for politicians to sit down together and watch an episode of Peppa Pig before making decisions that affect our children’s future. The leaders I admire the most are the ones who don’t lose touch with their inner child. I’m not suggesting turning parliament into a bouncy castle, but please put the miracle of life (in all its wondrous forms) at the centre of every decision.

Enough about politics. Arthur is practicing his smiles on the couch with his mum now. I’m about to practice my similes for my new book, like a sailor tying knots before a boat race (I’ll have to lift my game based on that example!). As Roberto Benigni said in the title of his film: ‘Life is Beautiful’. So is Arthur Benton.

Signing off

Jonathan K Benton – one very proud dad

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