‘Father and Son’ by Cat Stevens is a very important song for me.  If you asked me to put together the soundtrack of my life, this song would make the album.  Might even be the first track.

On a creative level I’ve always wanted to be able to tell this song visually while being able to tell my own connection to this song as well.

Since day one through a good chunk of my childhood, I did not have a dad.  I had the best mom in history, amazing grandparents, and lots of aunts and uncles.  But that father figure was never there.  While I do have a step-dad (he too, is the greatest), there’s a certain level of egg shells that the relationship walks through, and the gloves aren’t put on and duked out between a step-dad/son relationship the way it would if it were a biological connection.

And it was actually my step-dad that introduced me to this song back when I was in college.  On first listen, it hit me like a ton of bricks.  The lyrics, the emotion, the performance, everything about it.  Even if the song is packed with resent and expresses revolution (from the verses from the son), that’s what makes it beautiful.  Opposition is large part of a father/son relationship.  In fact, I saw it unfold so clearly during this time, seeing my step-dad and my half-brother duke it out the way I never did.

They fought often, but even so I was envious.  I knew, I knew I would never play that part of the son.  That time and opportunity for me went out the window on my first day.

But I do have plans on playing the father.  That chance will not pass me by.

PS. How about them acting skills of mine on this though?!  #bomchickawahwah