didn’ t really believe in but you knew were important to Mum; namely religion. You never missed a baptism, first communion, confirmation or anything like that. I still believe you only called me Luke purely to say:
“ Luke, I am your Father” at my 21st birthday.
I remember you telling me that you knew I would get the Head Boy position at JTC. I can’ t believe you had so much confidence in me; it was touching that you did though. I feel I was chosen as a leader because I possessed the same qualities as you. But it remains; like you always said, a jewish O’ Epstein name in a Catholic College. I now realize the hilarity of it!
Just because you sent me to a religious school didn’ t mean that I didn’ t interact with girls. Quite the contraire. The latter years of high school saw me introducing you to the likes of Erin( lower back arthritis), Katherine Glossop( the ultra band nerd-conservative who later went off the rails), Chantelle( Fantelle. The one who you and Mum adored), Farris( Also Fantelle. The Canadian that you found difficult to talk to, also lower back arthritis, Kobi( The Black-Japanese basketball player if I remember the wording correctly, also the spawn of Satan from Calibre) and finally Rachel( The Blonde Law student whom who also approve of). I will make sure I’ m as cool as you are when my son brings a girl to meet me. I’ m serious!
One of the contributing factors to picking up all these great girls was the fact that I played the guitar. I was extremely privileged to have been given guitar lessons from a young age. I know that you were not as fortunate as me when you were my age. Over the countless ensembles, eisteddfods, twilight recitals and Speech Nights, you have never missed one. A key memory being the night of the Japan fundraiser at the JTC Hall where we played the Moondance guitar duo( for the 1 millionth time) and you still messed up one of the parts. Your face was sweaty and flushed. It was hilarious. It was really cool that I could jam with you also. I am so lucky that you also provided a progression of guitars for me to support me. Playing in The Dee Dee Dums could only have been done with an Epiphone Les Paul guitar. I don’ t know if you know, but I quit the band because of one main reason; I didn’ t want to go down the path of drugs. You could tell that Kevin was well into the drugs and I had to make a pretty clear decision at that stage in my life of either joining a proper rock band and letting my life gradually spiral downwards after a fun yet destructive 5 years or continue with engineering and not get sucked in. Again, you and Mum always spelled out the right thing to do through out my entire life; certainly a value that I will be instilling onto my children when I am older.
You have always taught me the importance of goals. And I hope it’ s pretty clear from when I am now that I totally agree. My 3-5 year goals at the moment are to combine my work and travel the globe. I remember living in different places around the world; City Beach, Kinkuna Way, South Perth, Tranmore Way, Snowqualmie. And I love exploring new places and meeting interesting people. So I have to do it while I’ m young. Now that I have an engineering degree under my belt, I will utilize that while I travel.
What I’ m trying to say Dad is that you have been the biggest influence in my life and that I am who I am today because of you. We have an unbelievable family, home and lifestyle because of your hard work over the past 60 years. Ryan and I are all grown up, so it’ s time for you to be a bit more selfish and really focus on the stuff you sacrificed for us: photography, shooting, traveling, getting a dog & a video camera, finishing that book about your life and starting and finishing that golf book entitled: How to hit a Maxfli from the Rough When You Hit a Titleist from the Tee. This when you are supposed to have all of the fun. You have set Ryan and myself up for life and we are so grateful to have you as our Dad.
You have shaped me into the person I am today and I hope I can be half the father you have been to Ryan and I. You’ ve always made the most time for your family and the most time for your kids.
I love you immensely and thank you so much for the being the coolest Dad on the planet;
Love from your son, Luke
The Number One Dad in the world!
PS.
I don’ t quite have the same opportunity to embarrass you as you did to me at my 21 st however, some words of advice for the future …
Never walk past a toilet, Never waste a hard-on, and Never trust a fart
BARRY STEVEN EPSTEIN- PhotoAutobiography DRAFT 136 of 156