And how they may teach the son
Shared pastimes
One of my favorite pastimes as a new father has been to sit quietly watching my son as he explores his environment and develops his own personality. It is amazing to see how in a span of just one year he has gone from a tiny and completely dependent infant to this little explorer who despises the word no and wants nothing more than to do and experience everything his growing environment has to offer. It seems as though every day my little baby turns more and more into my little boy and with it thinks he needs me a bit less. But he does need me. And he shows me just how much by practicing his own favorite pastime.
Of all the things my son enjoys doing he seems to find the most pleasure out of watching and emulating me. He sees me do something and he does it. He hears me make a funny noise and he makes it over and over until he gets it right. When I use the bathroom he wants to follow. He wants to have what I have for dinner. And when I work out he stands next to me and mimics my every move. He even talks on his pretend phone when I’m on a call. Yes you could say with much surety that I am the biggest influence in my sons life. We have become grand buddies and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
A personal insight
With all this watching going on it didn’t take long for me to catch on that I’d better watch myself. My son has no idea how to judge yet what is worth emulating and what is not. So I sat down one night a few months back and had an honest look at the things I was doing with my life and the things in me I most wanted him to imitate and learn from. I also found a few things about me that I don’t want him to see. But we’ll save those for another article and another day.
My list was quite long at first but I narrowed it down a bit by combining a lot of things and clarifying others. There was however one underlying principal or idea that kept popping up time and time again. That one thing has to do with dreams and personal aspirations. If there is one thing I want to teach my son before I leave this world it is the importance of having dreams. But more important than having dreams, I want my son to actively seek out and accomplish his dreams no matter how far off they may seem. And no matter how kooky someone else might think they are.
There is of course a dilemma here that I found myself stuck at for quite awhile. With life coming at us at the speed of time it can be hard to even start the process of realizing our dreams, let alone seeing them through to fruition. It can even become difficult to remember what our dreams once were. There are always more pressing issues like paying rent, catching up on bills or saving for your kids’ college. So how do I teach my son to follow his dreams when I don’t have the time to encourage my own? And how do I look at myself when I’m old and come to the realization that I really didn’t give life my best shot.
The answer is clear
I’ve thought about this problem for a while now, and I think I have an answer. It isn’t an easy answer. But it is the only answer. I must set the example I want my son to follow, and there are no good excuses to the contrary. So last month I started a project that is so large and so comprehensive that only a mad man in my shoes would even consider such a thing. It will take years to finish. And it will take every bit of personal will I have to pull off along with everything else on my plate. But when I grow old and look back I will be able to say I did it. I took the road less traveled and smoothed it out along the way. I failed many times, but I stuck with it until it was done. And I will know that I set the best example for my son that I could muster.
The project I’m taking on has its roots in a very big dream of mine, and one that has haunted me since before I can remember. I never thought of trying it or even considering it before because I saw it as impossible for a man of my means. I can’t begin to imagine what other people dream about and secretly aspire to. But I dream of the future. I dream about how our dependence on technology has dirtied our Earth. But more importantly I dream about solutions and how the responsible use of existing and future technologies could one day bring our mother back to being the jewel we found her as. If you would like to know more about my dreams and how I plan to make them a reality you can learn more at the Open Fuel Cell Project where I have laid down all my plans and taken the first steps to make sure my son knows that even big dreams are possible.
