A tricky delivery, my first born. Thirteen years ago today, he came into the world blue, silent and staring. He did of course make up for it with a case of colic so bad that my midwife friend told me it was the worst she’d ever seen.  But hey, ho, he was my first, so I knew no different.

Quirky, smart, and incredibly kind, Cam has continued to plough his very own furrow. He has absolutely no interest in music of the ilk that the rest of us mackerels like. Apart from listening to a bit of classical while doing his homework, he remains resolutely disinterested. “It all sounds the same.” Sounds more like my 78 year old dad than my 13 year old son.

So what choice for today? Comedy of course! What he lacks in knowledge about music, he makes up for in his interest and enthusiasm about comedy.  At the age of four, he quoted Spike Milligan to an electrician fixing something in our then very ramshackle house, who was so surprised he nearly fell from his ladder. For years, he’s been able to quote extracts from Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – usually to himself. When asked last night what song he would choose for his special day, he replied, “Anything by Ivor Cutler, please.”

So there you have it. Tomorrow he goes down to the riverbank for a spot of solo fishing. Very Cam. When asked if he was now going to join a rather well-known social networking site, he said smiling, “Now why would I want to do that?!” Very, very Cam. Happy in his own skin.

I’m so, so glad you’re mine. Happy birthday, my darling boy.

With all my heart

Mama Mackerel xxx

The number of downloads for this may be slightly down this week, but well, you’re only 13 once …

Download Ivor Cutler – Big Jim mp3 (from Jammy Smears)