Michael, my eldest son arrived with his friends. He is commenced his 18th birthday celebrations with us in Berlin...he had planned it to be a long run in!
We prepared the locals, warned the neighbours, placed a few kegs of Germany´s finest on the balcony (its cooler now and it doubles as our second fridge...until the ice comes that is), alerted both the national and international media...had I forgotten anything I wondered? 
Along with many of our friends - the boys have been here many times before...On their first visit, Jonathan (my other son) entertained us all with his Malteser blowing skills...
...and his guitar playing
...their comradeship
And their table tennis skills...
Mike arrived onto this planet weighing in at just under 2lBs 8oz. He spent a comfortable first evening afterwards spent the next 3 years in and out of hospital...his duodenum was not correctly attached to his pancreas...that was a liberating few years.
Three major surgeries later and a full 17 years exposure to his world Mike is now one of thousands of young aspiring young adults gazing at the world at their feet...
My generation was brought up with the toaster and the microwave...his generation are the first to know a world with the internet...like generations before him, those that were the first to know the light bulb, the steam engine...the machine gun. 
...and his guitar playing...their comradeshipAnd their table tennis skills...
Mike arrived onto this planet weighing in at just under 2lBs 8oz. He spent a comfortable first evening afterwards spent the next 3 years in and out of hospital...his duodenum was not correctly attached to his pancreas...that was a liberating few years. Three major surgeries later and a full 17 years exposure to his world Mike is now one of thousands of young aspiring young adults gazing at the world at their feet...Mike has no clue what a 12inch vinyl in-port is, nor why when we had to use a phone to call an overseas number we had to book the call at the telephone exchange. Telephone exchange...are there any left?
Like many of his generation he sees no issue with owning and utilizing the software on his laptop.
The thrill I felt from sending my first international text and it arriving at its designated destination (that was only 6 years ago) is simply lost on him. Text messaging, it is now as common as sliced bread.
His generation uses Face Book, Twitter, MySpace, MSN, YouTube etc. Some of his friends have a staggering 500 plus friends listed on their sites...Mike’s brother Jonathan has well over 200 on his various lists. He writes to them about his skating, films, his music...YouTube postings, games for his play station; he has a healthy relationship with most of those listed...he has never met 75% of them.
His generation uses Face Book, Twitter, MySpace, MSN, YouTube etc. Some of his friends have a staggering 500 plus friends listed on their sites...Mike’s brother Jonathan has well over 200 on his various lists. He writes to them about his skating, films, his music...YouTube postings, games for his play station; he has a healthy relationship with most of those listed...he has never met 75% of them.
I think there was only 160 kids in my school form when I was 14...and I certainly didn´t talk to all of them...I definitely didn´t know all their names and their ´status´...interesting.
My generation was brought up with the toaster and the microwave...his generation are the first to know a world with the internet...like generations before him, those that were the first to know the light bulb, the steam engine...the machine gun.
How will they shape their world?
They have the scope to change the world...how will they manage this dramatic of revolutions?
Happy Birthday Mike xx
Happy Birthday Mike. Duncan it is a great milestone to see one's child come out of age, but the fun has just started. Enjoy
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