War. Famine. Pestilence. Cats and dogs, living together... mass hysteria. We certainly live in interesting times.
So now, of all times, NOW, I'm going to be a dad. I must be crazy, right?
For Chris and me, though, this is the best thing that's ever happened. The scan almost two weeks ago now was a defining moment. We couldn't have anticipated how profound it turned out to be - seeing this little baby wriggling around on an ultrasound screen was simply astonishing, transforming "Chris's pregnancy" into "our baby". A world of difference for me as a mere observer of the physiological effects of which Chris is all too aware, but I think also a change for Chris.
Before the scan, I had a few nerves, I think. I imagine it's typical for fathers-to-be, worrying about their ability to fill the role. But seeing our baby - albeit mediated through ultrasound and computer displays - just left me thinking that I can't wait to meet it. Being "a dad" seems like a big role to fill. But I might just be able to manage being "our baby's dad".
Anyway, seems like the world detected my newfound optimism about fatherhood, and decided to challenge any sense I might have of being able to ensure the safety and security of my family. First, a wave of indiscriminate terror attacks, brought home to us here in Birmingham by the evacuation of the city centre three weeks ago, and the arrests of suspects involved in the London bombing cells; Then, yesterday, a tornado (a tornado!) a few miles from our house, tearing a swathe through Kings Heath and Moseley, directly affecting many friends and colleagues. Miraculous escapes on this occasion for many, and thankfully no fatalities.
All parents must wonder what kind of world they're bringing their children into. My parents, after the optimistic years of the sixties, had their children in the seventies, among fuel crises and strikes, and IRA bombing campaigns. My father was born in 1942, in the middle of the second world war, for goodness' sake. His father was born in 1916 - halfway through the Great War, and at the time of the Easter Rising in Ireland. In comparison, today's troubles seem minor.
So the apocalyptic news doesn't win this one, I'm afraid; I'm going to stay optimistic. I'm looking forward to introducing our baby to the world. I'm looking forward to having a six year old child in the house when the Olympics come to the UK in 2012. I'm looking forward to finding out what teenagers in the 2020s will be doing to irritate their parents. I'm looking forward to interesting times all of our own. It's going to be great.