Rubbing off
Aug. 27th, 2006 11:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jianantonicI think my parents did a pretty good job raising my two brothers and me, and I think they're probably pretty happy with the job they did. At least one of the three of us has embraced pretty much every single aspect of our parents' personalities and passions. I probably resemble them the closest in action and philosophy, although there are certain areas where I march to the beat of a drastically different drummer.
When I was a kid, each of my parents had a passion that I swore I'd never share. Mom's was bridge, and Dad's was Virginia Tech. I came around on the Hokies long before I ever admitted liking bridge, but who'd have thought that UVA Womens' Basketball's biggest fan (don't argue with me on this one - there was a period of about 3 years where no one loved that team more than I did - Kathleen Krohn had more inside connections, but it was not possible to be more obsessed than I was) would soon be attending camp at VT, and driving three hours each way to be a face in the crowd at the football games, literally sitting with my left leg on one side and my right on the other of the 50 yard line? The first home game is Saturday - I'm very excited. I wouldn't say VT sports are really a passion of mine, but I'm involved and I love it.
And there was also country music. My dad got me on that train before I knew how uncool it was to like it, but as soon as I found out that the cool kids were shunning it, I turned my back on my musical roots and started doing the Tootsie Roll like everyone else in my sixth grade class. Only recently have I rediscovered my true musical passion - good ol' banjo pickin' and singing with a southern accent. I'm still not into the country you'll find on the radio, but neither has my father ever been - we're bluegrass/Appalachian fans. Who knew, when I was driving around with NIN blasting on my car stereo senior year of high school, that I'd be on the street teams for all these bluegrass bands?
And we all know that my mother has really triumphed in the bridge department. It's quite possible, even, and I shudder to admit this to myself, that I'm more into it than she is. Perhaps my friends should start an intervention.
Yet, if you could ask my parents what they most wished to pass on to their children, my father would probably say conservative politics, and my mother would probably wish for each of us to have some domestic skills. My brother Adrian has them covered in both regards, but not only am I 0-for-2, I couldn't have inherited these characteristics less. I'm far and away the most liberal individual in my whole family, and I'm a complete domestic failure. I don't know if my mother has anything that she wished not to pass on, but I bet my father wishes I hadn't inherited his depression.
So if I were to have children, which, yeah, we'll see...I guess there's no way to be sure they turn out the way I want them to. They'll get pieces of me, and they'll pick up other things on their own, but I really hope that they would share my passion for music, and I hope that they would not pick up my tendency toward anxiety and depression. If they pick that up and not any of my better qualities, I don't think I'll survive their upbringing. This is one of many reasons I'm scared to procreate. Lord help us all if I raise a Republican.
Peace.
When I was a kid, each of my parents had a passion that I swore I'd never share. Mom's was bridge, and Dad's was Virginia Tech. I came around on the Hokies long before I ever admitted liking bridge, but who'd have thought that UVA Womens' Basketball's biggest fan (don't argue with me on this one - there was a period of about 3 years where no one loved that team more than I did - Kathleen Krohn had more inside connections, but it was not possible to be more obsessed than I was) would soon be attending camp at VT, and driving three hours each way to be a face in the crowd at the football games, literally sitting with my left leg on one side and my right on the other of the 50 yard line? The first home game is Saturday - I'm very excited. I wouldn't say VT sports are really a passion of mine, but I'm involved and I love it.
And there was also country music. My dad got me on that train before I knew how uncool it was to like it, but as soon as I found out that the cool kids were shunning it, I turned my back on my musical roots and started doing the Tootsie Roll like everyone else in my sixth grade class. Only recently have I rediscovered my true musical passion - good ol' banjo pickin' and singing with a southern accent. I'm still not into the country you'll find on the radio, but neither has my father ever been - we're bluegrass/Appalachian fans. Who knew, when I was driving around with NIN blasting on my car stereo senior year of high school, that I'd be on the street teams for all these bluegrass bands?
And we all know that my mother has really triumphed in the bridge department. It's quite possible, even, and I shudder to admit this to myself, that I'm more into it than she is. Perhaps my friends should start an intervention.
Yet, if you could ask my parents what they most wished to pass on to their children, my father would probably say conservative politics, and my mother would probably wish for each of us to have some domestic skills. My brother Adrian has them covered in both regards, but not only am I 0-for-2, I couldn't have inherited these characteristics less. I'm far and away the most liberal individual in my whole family, and I'm a complete domestic failure. I don't know if my mother has anything that she wished not to pass on, but I bet my father wishes I hadn't inherited his depression.
So if I were to have children, which, yeah, we'll see...I guess there's no way to be sure they turn out the way I want them to. They'll get pieces of me, and they'll pick up other things on their own, but I really hope that they would share my passion for music, and I hope that they would not pick up my tendency toward anxiety and depression. If they pick that up and not any of my better qualities, I don't think I'll survive their upbringing. This is one of many reasons I'm scared to procreate. Lord help us all if I raise a Republican.
Peace.
