The Incredible Hulk

What a disaster of a movie. Edward Norton and Liv Tyler (gorgeous... mmm) put on great performances, but every other actor in that movie screws up except for the old Italian Restaurant Owner. Everyone else... just sucked. Haha not exactly a deep analysis, but what do you expect with lines like "Reload. Reload. Reload." ... "We're building a team." "Who?"

And to think I used to enjoy such things....

So yes, that is how I spent my Friday night. Some girl from some college who is a friend of a friend's girlfriend who is.... no wait thats the end. Anyways she is down for the weekend and I was supposed to hang out with said friend, friend's g/f, and friend's g/f's friend tonight, but something came up and here I am watching the Incredible Hulk. It could be worse though... Canada is supposed to be here but her mom doesn't trust her to drive.

Which brings me to the subject of this post: How much should a parent push their children to succeed, and how much should a parent protect the only thing in this world that is truly a piece of them?

I just erased about two pages.... i went off on some wild tangent about defining the elite of America. It was too jumbled to form an intelligent thought, and I will tackle that regurgitation of the mind at a later date.

Basically I am faced with this dilemma, when (or if) I do breed, and create little Me-and-my-Plus-1's , how do I present the world to them?

I would like nothing more than to create a legacy for my family. I was reading an article about Kennedy wanting Hilary's Senate seat, and it made a valid point. America has created its own dynasties. I feel like I need to take what my parents provided, and rise above that. I would have the same expectation of my son or daughter, because I would have worked very hard to give them a better opportunity than I was provided, because I am able to. I can't imagine there being anything more satisfying in life than to see your own children become someone greater than you yourself. It also stresses the importance of finding (and waiting for) the right person. You only get one shot at childrearing, theres no takebacks or erasies (legally).

So I dedicate my life to providing for my children, to being a role model to them, in the hopes of instilling in them the same drive and... will that my own father instilled in me, both through his actions and his chromosomes. I dedicate my life to developing their mental abilities and enriching their thoughts, as my mother did. They leave my care with all the tools and knowledge I could give (hopefully its more then than I currently possess). Now things get interesting.

I have two cousins whom I consider the closest thing living related to me by blood to be a success of the system, if you will. My Aunt had much the same dreams as I do. She worked a 2nd job to put both her daughters through college. Both have degrees from prestigious universities, both graduated from the International Baccalaureate program in High School. One just finished her internship at a beauty salon doing hair, and the other is finishing her masters in International Politics.

How would I feel if my child chose the salon route? I couldn't help but be disappointed. At the same time, I could encourage my child and hope that they turn it into something more. Said cousin could easily run a chain of salons, and is fluent in 3 languages. I hope that she quickly climbs in her career. But what if she doesn't? What is she is complacent coloring hair and perming old women? Can you really look down on someone who does what they love?

Simply, the answer is no. At the end of the day, the only thing you can be disappointed in is if you give your child everything they need to succeed, and they still end up stuck doing something which adds misery to their lives. The path to success is long and varied, just look at me :) If they are able to live a fulfilling life, what more can you have possibly provided?

If I had someone there watching every step for me, I would be a much different person. For better or for worse, I would be different. So I guess the only thing we can reasonably do is arm them with a quality mind, train them to apply it, and cross your fingers and toes as you say goodbye. Watching a child grow up as an adult is merely an extension of sending them on their very first schoolbus ride. And then you have to be there when they inevitably punch the girl who called them a name, skip class to go to the beach, sleep through that final exam, or take those 21 shots.

That is one thing I can say my stepmom has always done, thankfully. While I sometimes wished she pushed me harder, or was more protective, I can never say she has turned away at my missteps.

REBEL!! REBEL! Down with the Rents!!!... I can hear my little brother shouting.

The image of a grumbling Canada sitting at home because her mom is worried is still kinda cute, though. ;)



Haha and was that heavily edited. Man feareth 3 things: death, taxes, and the blue +