Letters to the Editor
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Navel gazing?
I told my children when they were growing up that they COULD NOT be anything they may dream, they WILL NOT achieve the talent or the things they may want if only they work hard enough & believe hard enough. AND if anyone who tells them so, is lying. I was given a "bad mother" label by teachers and others.
What I did tell my children was what they could do is to know themselves; know their talents, preferences and limits. From there, they could build a life plan A, plan B, plan C, etc. And if their choices hold out, their luck stands in locating opportunities and they persevere, they may find themselves to be content and maybe even happy. I thought it important that they understood that not everything is within their control and they should work within those things that are in their control and adapt to those that are not.
My father had a friend who gave this epiphany. My father's friend, a middle aged man when I was in high school, who thought himself a failure because he did not play pro ball even though he praticed all the time and was the best on his high school team. I heard this story at the dinner table and suggested that the competition must of been better. He ignored my thought, afterall I was only 17 (I wouldn't pay much attention to me either then) and went into a litany on how he failed play by play by play. He obviously didn't understand it was beyond his control; he may of been good, but the competition was better.
It irritates me to no end to hear a young person say they want to "be somebody." I always want to ask, "who exactly is this 'somebody' that you want to be?" Does that really mean to be a famous someone in something? Or to own a 4 bedroom in the suburbs and drive an expensive car? No really, I don't know what it means.
Well, if this is navel-gazing, so be it. Even though, I don't believe navel-gazing applies to this article.