Character – Octember 4, 2022

graphix: spwilcen

Just yesterday or the day before, I don’t remember and being an old fart, I’m entitled to forget, in fact might be chastised if I didn’t routinely forget, but I let the keyboard post a piece about children becoming adults.  The tragedy of it, that is.

It might speak to the strength of character of your kids if in spite of you being their mom or pop they turned out different from you. I mean, you are flawed. A little flawed mostly, seriously flawed in a few ways.  Doesn’t mean you’re a bad person, you’re just far from perfect.  Okay, some of us are bad people.

Still, your kids have to put up with and survive you.  Your flaws and your sterling qualities.  Assuming you have sterling qualities. Flaws are a given.  It’s natural for your kids to go one of two ways surviving your influences. Joanie believes you set the stars to twinkling each evening and she wants to be just like you. Or, Lester finds it insane that you come to a complete stop at stop signs when no one else is within eyesight of your car, and Lester’s late for hockey practice, so he resolves to be a hell of a lot more pragmatic.

Considering your flaws, shortcomings and weaknesses, if your children reject or overcome these themselves to be decent individuals, this speaks highly of their strength of character. Of course, you want examples showing how your adult children might recover from lousy role models.

You can’t stand Republicans.  Steffi sees them no bigger idiots than anyone else.

You know all Democrats are crooks.  Ronnie is a Democrat.

You love Brussels sprouts.  Junior thinks they’re biohazards.

You don’t understand “puce.”  LeRon is an interior designer.

You procrastinate.  Stephen doesn’t quibble. Given a disagreeable job, he declares, “Ain’t doing it. Ever.”

You have ADHD. Lucy shoots squirrels.

You think animal protein tasty.  Stella prefers tofu tenderloin.

You pay taxes.  Timmy is a corporate CPA.

You snicker at tree huggers.  Melodie’s best friend is a Maple.

Beer works for you.  James prefers Cabernet in proper stemware.

You opt for Chardonnay. Rebecca says Scotch from a red plastic cup is acceptable.

You follow the Met.  Candice and Lewis follow the Mets.

You need your hair “done” every month. Jeanine prefers “Fluff and fly.”

You use every tool in your workshop.  Scott doesn’t know a hammer from a doomflobber.

You still have the first dollar you earned.  Ben is still looking to earn his first dollar.

If it’s broken, you repair it.  Emily feels “new” not only better but also expedient.

Gender is cut and dried for you.  “Fluid” is the term Drew bandies about.

Yup, I know Larry out there is loading-up to scold me for ignoring other possibilities. Okay, Larry, just for you. When you’re good and your kid turns out good, well la-dee-dah for the both of you. When you’re bad and your kids emulates you, well, what’d you expect? Finally, when you’re good and you kid goes south, your kid is a stinker or you failed to put “goody-two-shoes” into perspective.

It takes strength of character to disregard what you’re accustomed to and chose to be better. For the most part, our kids done good. Hell, they survived us.