14/08/2026
“Father and Son” 🎵
I suppose we all keep somewhere in our hippocampus certain memories and experiences from our teenage years, or even earlier, that only become truly meaningful much later in life. When I was in secondary school, I developed a huge interest in the English language and English culture in general. I still don’t know whether it was thanks to our beloved teacher at the time, or simply an inner instinct that was slowly paving the way for my future career as an English teacher. Back then, I used to read every single English book I came across. Yet only one of them still lingers in my mind: Think It Over. It was actually one of my sisters’ school textbooks, and I’m amazed at how much of its content I can still remember — particularly one song: “Father and Son” by Cat Stevens, now known as Yusuf/Cat Stevens. I wasn’t particularly a fan of the singer at the time as he belonged to a much older generation than the artists I would normally follow — but somehow, those lyrics stayed with me:
🎵 It’s not time to make a change, 🎵 Just relax, take it easy. 🎵 You’re still young, that’s your fault, 🎵 There’s so much you have to go through. 🎵 Find a girl, settle down, 🎵 If you want, you can marry. 🎵 Look at me, I’m old, but I’m happy. 🎵
At that time, these words didn’t convey any particular meaning to me. They were simply part of a song my mouth enjoyed singing. But many years later, I came to understand their depth and importance. Although I must admit, I’m still wondering whether a discussion between a father and his son really needed to be sung. 😂🎶 Anyway, do you have any particular memory from your younger years that keeps coming back to you, even though you can’t quite figure out why your subconscious has held on to it?
I'll be grateful if you drop it in the comments
