I am probably a real pain in the neck to my son on occasion. I critique his behaviour, admonish various transgressions of his, large and small, and am quick to point out what is inappropriate and crass. On the other hand, I am lavish with praise if he does something well. Hopefully, there is some balance between the two possible reactions he is likely to get from me.
In response to his inevitable gripe after being corrected about something, my response is often: "I just don't want to unleash yet another asshole into the world."
Ineloquent, right? Inelegant too. I'm sure that I could say what I mean in a less pedestrian fashion, but I am striving for effect. There are already far too many ill-mannered, inconsiderate, obnoxious and uncouth assholes in the world, and I have met many of them. I truly don't want him to be that way, so I do the best I can to encourage him to behave properly.
Yesterday, he and I were sitting on the couch watching some TV show together. The TV son turned to his TV dad and said something typically teen-ager obnoxious. My son turned to me and said: "Now that kid is behaving like an asshole. I'm not at all like that."
I thought for a moment. "You're right," I said. "You are not at all like that." And I was grateful, for although the TV son was a fictional character, he was like so many real kids out there: disrespectful, condescending, whining and irresponsible. My son is far from perfect, but he truly is not like that, at least not all the time.
And I am truly not perfect either. I expect too much, am far too impatient and am too quick to anger. I guess those are things that I will have to address in my New Year's Resolution list.
And there, my friends, is the segue into what I really want to say:
Happy New Year, everyone. It is unlikely that I will be blogging before 2007, so I wish each and every one of you a safe transition from this year to the next, and a healthy, satisfying and rewarding year ahead.
