Name: Dalton Higgins

Age: 47

Occupation:  Public Relations, Writer  
 
How many children do you have?

Two

How old were you when you first became a father?  29

How would you rank your relationship with your father?

4 out of 5

Briefly describe the relationship with your father.

My father is a pretty quiet, easy-going, and extremely sharp-dressed guy who does his own thing, and wears spiffy blazers and suits every day. I learned through him to never look down or up at anyone because the way he moved he hung out with a broad spectrum of people, with different interests and from different class strata. He has a bit of a rebellious streak in him, and that's probably what I inherited, as I totally march to the beat of my own drummer. He used to have a ton of reggae vinyl lying around and being blasted really loudly for decades, so through osmosis, I became a walking encyclopedia of reggae music. As for his vices (alcohol, smoking cigarettes), I probably learned a bit about how to not overindulge anything. It's okay to dabble, and experiment in things, food, wine, and culture, but don't overdo it.

How has this shaped the relationship with your children?

I think I am pretty easygoing myself, and I don't sweat the small stuff. I suspect the kids know that I am in that cerebral perma-chill zone much of the time, and maybe they take slight advantage! My father also has a very even-keeled personality, and I also think there is some good in that when dealing with my kids. Context and perspective are everything.

What do you enjoy the most about being a dad?

I could write a book about this, and hey, I kinda already did, it's called Fatherhood 4.0! As far as the cycle of life goes, I quite enjoy the fact that there are these seedlings carrying on the family tradition. They are my legacy really, and as parents we want our kids to have an easier time at it than we had. Childbirth is quite miraculous actually, and 18 years later I'm still in awe of my wife's role in all of this, I still have no idea how women pull this off, squeezing human beings out of their bodies - it's an out-of-body experience, these two growing humanoids who look like a split between my wife and I. How could I not be freaked out at the fact that random people will see my daughter and arbitrarily remark: "Is your dad Dalton Higgins?", and she's always like "Who are these people?". That happens with my son a little less, but there's no doubt he's a Higgins man, his eyebrows and eyes give it away. And then the bottom half of his head is all his mother (and his arms and feet too).