This partly relates to a recent thread. I've dwelt on this issue
without before now breaching it with someone who can make an informed
comment. I am adopted, found out late, when I was 23, and only met my
father about 18 months ago. There are a few things about us that could
be coincidences but I'm guessing they're not. We have similarities you
wouldn't think are inherited. The one that struck me the most was that
we've both played the guitar intermittently and with compromised
discipline since the age of 14. As someone with a humanities
background - degree in English and Philosophy - I'd always made
humanistic interpretations of my character; it would seem though that
part of my development unravelled according to genetics, and my
interpretation was slapped on after. I've not become a determinist of
any description, because the paths of me and my Dad have diverged,
mentally and literally, due to my day-to-day assessments of what I
need and where I'm going, etc. But it still amazes me that development
of this kind can happen, being quite different from, e.g., the fact
that we've both "suffered from clinical depression". Any interested
reflection on this, or pointers to material on the subject, is welcome
by posting or e'mail also_ran50[then the at sign]hotmail.com
