Men\'s Health Australia - 11.2018

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Bob Hills,my dad, worked in the Qantas cabin
crew. Theinflightmotto,healwaysusedto
say, was: “Ifitmoves,callitsir.Ifitdoesn’t,
put parsley on it.”

As far as I was concerned,my dad’s job was
to f ly around the world and talk to people over
the microphone. Is it any wonder that I do
what I do now?

How did my dad influence me?Wel l, on
holiday, when I was about eight, I remember
someone describing him as the “nicest man
in Qantas”. That made me proud. You want to
be like your heroes and my dad was definitely
one of my heroes.

When I was three days old,my dad brought
a red-and-green toy rabbit into the hospital
to ensure that I’d be a Rabbitohs fan for life.
He always took me to their games as a kid - we
talked about them all the time. When dad
died, his Rabbitohshatwasonthebednext
to him. That toy rabbit now sits in my
daughters’ playroom.

It doesn’t matterhow long ago it is when you

lose someone. You have those moments when

youwanttotellthemsomething.Whenthe

Rabbitohsplayedthe2014grandfinalIflew

back from London to watch them win. After

the game we were all singing “Glory, Glory to

SouthSydney”.Suddenly,Ihadtearsinmy

eyesbecauseIjustwantedtoturntomydad

and put my arm around him. It’s a ridiculous

thing the way sons bond with their fathers

over sport.

Having kids did change me.Ithink

fatherhood makes you more confident in

yourself.Moregrounded.

As a father you need to be present.When

my dad was away for work he was gone for days

andweeksatatime.Butwhenhewasbackhe

alwayshadallthetimeforyou–we’dcome

back from school and sit together and watch

cartoons. When I’m with my kids I always try

nottodoanythingelse.

Fatherhood changed the way I work.It

madememorefocused. Itmademenotwant

totakeeverysinglegig.I’llonlydothem

nowifIthinkthey’reworthit.I’llturndown

Comedian Adam Hills, 48

Father of Maisie and Beatrice

corporate jobs, say, because I want to be back

home for bedtime.

What advice would I give a new dad?

Don’tgettoodownonyourselfwhenyoudo

something wrong. If you lose something, put a

shoe on the wrong foot, lose your temper

...justgoeasyonyourself.Aslongasyou’re

trying to be a good dad that puts you way

ahead of the game.

Iwasholdingmydad’shandwhen he

tookhislastbreath.Itwasbothbeautiful

and terrible. In some ways it was the worst

moment of my life. But to be able to be there

forhimmeantalot.

Best Foot Forwardby Adam Hills is published

by Hachette Australia. $32.99

WHAT I’VE

LEARNT ABOUT

FATHERHOOD

.

ADAM ON HIS DAD’S

SHOULDERS WITH HIS

UNCLE CHRIS IN “THE

AUSSIEST PHOTO EVER”.

November 2018 101