The potency of Solomon

	“Looks OK to me, but if you want to get it fixed, I won’t stop you.”

I know this isn’t funny. It isn’t. Clearly. But it is, really.

I was listening to that song from Dirty Dancing (well, not FROM Dirty Dancing, but made more famous by the movie) Cry to Me. You know, the seduction song.

That got me to reading about the song’s creator, Solomon Burke. More intriguing even than his long musical career is that Solly has sired 21 children (resulting in 87 grandchildren), the first of whom was born when he was 14. The man got busy early!

So, here’s what Solly writes to his kids on his web site. You can read it with full sincerity. Or you can just laugh your ass off as I am:

A Message to My Children…
… one by one and name by name.

I know that I have learned an awful lot in the past 65 years and being a father at age 14 may have been a little early, but I don’t regret one moment, one second, one day, or one hour. My only regrets are the loss of my twins and my first son. But your love and your strength, and the love of your mothers, have made me the strongest-minded father in the world. I may not be the best father. Maybe I haven’t done everything that I should do, could do or would do… or desire to do, but by the grace of God, and your prayers, we will make it. Every day is a new way. None of us are perfect and God knows, I have made many mistakes. I realize now how important birthdays are, graduations, proms, and the many days and nights in-between.

OK, well, there’s more of it, but that’s enough for me. “May have been a little bit early”! AHAHAHAHA. “Maybe I haven’t done everything….” How could anyone? What would the average be? Three minutes per child per day. “And the love of your mothers….” Man, that one really did me in. Damn. I’m guessing this guy never needs to pay for a motel room. He’s just got ‘em stashed around the country.

Now, here’s the BIG question. Is he really really good at keeping up with the mommies and hence knows all his kids? Or are these 21 just the tip of the, uh, iceberg?