Do We Have to Become Our Parents?

Today Dave returns to talk about turning 49 along with topics such asBack HairSeeing your Dad when you look into the mirror.My 8th BirthdayI swore I would never make a child of mine have  a birthday like m eighth. My Dad was a long distance truck driver and in 1973 there were no cell phones, and to make a long story short I didn't get a phone call from him on my birthday. It really bummed me out, and made me feel pretty invisible. I don't hold it against him, and he did call the next day.Fast Forward to 2014I was in Vegas for a podcasting convention. I remember when I woke up on the last day and had a reminder to call my step son. It was his 17th birthday. Its weird when you're three hours apart. When you eat, they are sleeping. When you're eating lunch, they are in school. This goes on and on. When I looked at my watch and saw it was 9:45 pm in Vegas meant it was 12:45 in Ohio. I had missed his birthday. I had a reason (I got lost in the time zones), but I couldn't believe I had done that.Are we destined to turn into our parents? I don't know. I haven't seen my Dad in years cause the last time I went to see him the dimensia had robbed him of his memory of me (and he thought I was my brother). This makes one feel insignificant (even though you know it's not his fault). I'm thinking of going back to see him. It is weird. If you're Dad doesn't remember you, but he's alive, it's like YOU're dead. I'm going to take my wife and hope that she will help him remember me. I guess we'll see. I have a voice in my head that says I need to go and see him.