(A letter I never thought I’d write)

It has come to my attention that I once knew you. Actually, it came to me over time, through my children, a series of vivid dreams and through the onset of total world domination by your rather successful son.

My seven and four year olds had become interested (not yet obsessed) with a young singer named Justin Beaver, funny I thought, I once knew a guy with the last name Beaver or at least, I think it was Beaver.

Months passed and this kid took over the radio and television but his name was Bieber not Beaver, my kids were mistaken, baby, baby, baby, so was I.

I then heard this Bieber phenom came from Stratford, ON, coincidence number two.

The hamster may have fallen asleep at the wheel as it did take me a very long time to connect the two Biebers; the one I knew in grades seven and eight and the one who had taken over the airwaves, google and youtube.

The Jeremy Bieber that I remember was obsessed with Harleys, Winnipeg, the drums or guitar and getting into trouble. Consequently, we didn’t have a lot to do with each other as I was forbidden to ever ride a motorcycle and thought Winnipeg sounded far too cold.

Our conversations went a little like this;

Me: Hey Jeremy.

Jeremy: Hey Harley. Winnipeg. Drums.

You had a mullet. Can’t get mad, everyone did.

It didn’t occur to me that my dinner party “it” story would shift from skydiving, traveling to some interesting countries to, “Justin Bieber? I knew his Dad!” and the crowd would be entranced.

My kids are not obsessed with motorcycles, drums, popular albeit bizarre hair-cuts or Western Canada.

Their interests lie closer to home, in a teenage pop sensation named Justin Bieber.

I did not see that one coming.