A few signs that you were brought up in a 1970's Scottish fishing village and your dad was a trawler man.
You know when the back o Sunday is.
You thought all dads had a nap on Sunday afternoon when you went to Sunday school.
If you ever went on a fishing trip you were renamed - Jonah.
You thought that laughing at people being sea sick was the right thing to do.
You thought all Dad's only came home at the weekend.
You never looked forward to dad coming home as every time you were bad your mum would say "Wait till your father gets home!"
The TV always got switched over in the middle of your favourite programme to watch the weather forecast.
Working on the boat in the harbour always involved a trip to the dole office.
You thought the natural smell in all garages was that of curing herring.
A "fry" was not just a way to cook.
Something being boiled alive on the stove was to be looked forward to.
You though that anytime a dad called home from work it was compulsory to say "over" at the end of your sentence.
You are good at geography because you needed a map of the whole of the UK to check out all the places your dad was working.
You thought the volume always went up automatically when the fishing forecast came on the radio.
You thought the "Isle of Man" was like Santa's Grotto because when dad went there he always came back with presents.
You have worn a Fair Isle Gansey and thought it was cool.
You thought that the VW Dormobile Van was the fastest thing on the road bar non.
You always have to donate to the RNLI every time you see one of those little lifeboats collecting tins.
Your kitchen drawer always had a lone messer knife in it.
You are scarred by the memory of drinking tea with condensed milk it.
You have the ability clean your plate with a piece of bread or potato so you can use the same bowl to eat all three courses.
You thought a trip on a boat was a necessary biblical induction for all ministers everywhere when taking on a new church.
Billy Ritchie.org
