I don't know that I am a better grandfather than father, however I am convinced that I have been a better observer in the grandfather role. Perhaps, I have had more time to focus on the grandkids.
I believe young people grow up with a profound mixed-message that can become problematic for them at times. Their early youth is a inundated with constant subliminal messages of fitting in and being accepted. Adults dress kids alike, invite them to join in social events and push the adolescent to be engaged in group activities, i.e. Sports, clubs, etc. As the journey continues competition also manifest itself in the life of the kid. It is found in the classroom-learning evaluation arena as well as those aforementioned activities where 'making' the team getting 'playing time' brings conflicting pressures. This process begins to tear at the social bonding-acceptance fabric. Suddenly, many young people are perplexed with both potential rejections and fear of failure. That said, I often remind my grandchildren to step out of the 'fear of failure' shadows for it may be the most profound social disease of the twenty-first century.
Go for it and beware, when you do succeed you will often win false friends and true enemies; it's the nature of people. Succeed anyway!
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