My dad had a habit of leaning on his elbows with his hands covering his ears. This trait stayed with him since he was a boy, and to me it was a sign of distress. He still did it at times, like when he didn't want to talk about a difficult time in his life, or an experience that had stayed with him all that time.

My dad told me about really wanting a Meccano set as a young boy, so I eventually  tracked one down and gave it to him as a Christmas present one year. By that time he was well into his eighties, but when I gave it to him, he looked to me like he was eight years old again.

I've always been interested in how early experiences influences and shape peoples lives. In my dad's case, his first encounter with the mechanics of a boat that size must have been really amazing!