Don't Tell Mama
The other day I was reading a BusinessWeek article on my train ride home. The article told about a fancy ski resort that has quite a few extremely difficult trails, including one called "Don't Tell Mama".
My immediate impression at seeing the name, was strong disapproval. Why should anyone ski on a crazy trail that Mama shouldn't know about?
Then I laughed at myself. The force of nature is truly formidable.
When I was in elementary school, my home was on a hill. My school was at the foot of the hill. The usual path was a series of paved switchbacks. There was a shortcut, a number of steep flights of stairs. My mom had forbidden me to take that shortcut. I don't know what her concern was. (But given the later event detailed in the previous post, she must have been right.) I thought the rule ridiculous and broke it a number of times. I was seen by her colleagues and she threw a fit, made me promise to never take that route again.
I believe many people have at some point thought they would never be like their mom/dad, only to be startled at the uncanny resemblance later. I am among them.
Without my noticing it, my way of thinking has changed from that of a rebellious, foolhardy child to that of a worried, protective mother. Play the stereotypical role, think the stereotypical thoughts, feel the stereotypical emotions.
I can't say whether it is good or bad, but maybe this is how evolution worked. Maybe the transformation was favored by natural selection. What do you, my dear friend, think?
My immediate impression at seeing the name, was strong disapproval. Why should anyone ski on a crazy trail that Mama shouldn't know about?
Then I laughed at myself. The force of nature is truly formidable.
When I was in elementary school, my home was on a hill. My school was at the foot of the hill. The usual path was a series of paved switchbacks. There was a shortcut, a number of steep flights of stairs. My mom had forbidden me to take that shortcut. I don't know what her concern was. (But given the later event detailed in the previous post, she must have been right.) I thought the rule ridiculous and broke it a number of times. I was seen by her colleagues and she threw a fit, made me promise to never take that route again.
I believe many people have at some point thought they would never be like their mom/dad, only to be startled at the uncanny resemblance later. I am among them.
Without my noticing it, my way of thinking has changed from that of a rebellious, foolhardy child to that of a worried, protective mother. Play the stereotypical role, think the stereotypical thoughts, feel the stereotypical emotions.
I can't say whether it is good or bad, but maybe this is how evolution worked. Maybe the transformation was favored by natural selection. What do you, my dear friend, think?
posted by moira at 1:25 AM
2 Comments:
I hated it when my mother kept babbling around me about the rules, shoulds and should-nots; yet a day without that would make me feel lonely and helpless.
Now that my wife constantly urges me to sleep earlier in the night, just because she read somewhere that late-nighters have a higher potential of getting diabetes when old. I laugh at this thought, yell at her when she repeats too many times, yet it feels good to feel the care.
Be protective, but not intrusive would be the best option in my mind.
dunno, hopefully when i get to the point, i will strongly agree with you. . .
Such is life, even a tough-minded guy like myself felt lonely when suddenly no one was staying aside me, urging me to do this and that.
I just saw off my dad yesterday. i didnot have time to realize and feel the loneliness and pain after having parted with Bei. Now that both of my dearest person have left me, for a second last night I was feeling extremely bad. . .
Of course it won't last long.
Amao, being sure to be educated properly, won't allow his parents to be intrusive anymore.
Post a Comment
<< Home