Daddy's fading authority

As any father can testify, for anyone to try and usurp supreme authority in the home front is the ultimate declaration of war. We have all grown up knowing that a father’s authority is final, never to be questioned. As children, we had mastered all the unwritten rules of the home. We knew when dad would come home, where he would sit making sure that we kept a wide berth from his “throne.”  His meals were always warm regardless of when he showed up in the night. How I envied such pampering.

Well, the hens have come home to roost. Today, I find myself on the driver’s seat minus the above mentioned trappings of power. And while Myra has tried her best to cooperate, one little fellow seems determined to stage a family coup. Junior, as I have mentioned in the past is no respecter of rules and regulations. Many are the tines I get home only to find him perched on my favourite seat. To add insult to injury, he will be found holding the remote control, a cardinal sin in the household. You might know this: that the remote control is among the most coveted gadget in the house. It is like driving a car where any man wants to be on the driver’s seat. Holding the remote control is an extension of ourselves. It is the definitive symbol of authority in the home. Junior, however, seems to have missed that memo. He is eager to test the waters and see how far he can go before I lose my cool, or whatever is left of it. My pleas that he keeps off my turf seem to fall on deaf ears. All I can do is look on helplessly. Again, would I have behaved that way toward my father? In fact, could the very thought of such glaring revolt even cross my mind? You make the call.