‘Si le petit sauvage etait abandoné à lui-même, qu'il conservât toute son imbécillité,

et qu'il réunît au peu de raison de Penfant au berceau la violence des passions de l'homme de trente ans, il tordrait le col à son père

et coucherait avec sa mère.

Diderot

"I cannot think of any need in childhood

as strong as the need for a father's protection."

Sigmund Freud

"The Imaginary Father is an imago, the composite

of all the imaginary constructs that the subject builds up

in fantasy around

the figure of the father.

This imaginary construction bears little relation to the father as he is in reality."

Jacques Lacan

"The true function of the Father (...)

is fundamentally to unite (and not to set in opposition) a desire and the Law."

Jacques Lacan

I was named after my father's political idol, Brigadier General Eduardo Gomes.

He fought the political oligarchy, the communists, helped the Allies during World War 2 and tried twice to be President

(never succeeded, though).

The most popular dessert in Brazil was also named after him (it's called "brigadeiro", not "eduardo"...) and is made of chocolate & condensed milk.  These candies were sold to raise funds for his campaings.

(photo taken in in August 1950,

when my father was 16 yo).

Soccer is one of my father's 3 "obsessions" (the 2 others being flying saucers and death penalty...).

He played for several non-professional teams, then became a prestigious referee. He still loves watching games on tv.

No, he never saw any flying saucer and doesn't even believe they exist. But he buys every magazine about this subject, knows everything about it and is always ready to prove they are a fraud.

He has always supported death penalty, which is not allowed in Brazl. He is a retired Judge, and woudn't have hesitated to sentence some criminals to death. I'm glad he never had the chance to do that.