Herman by Jim Unger for February 13, 2020

He’s decided? Or has dad decided?

We exposed our sons to a number of things but did not push them into anything.

My youngest son loved to play sports and was a great team player, a good athlete, but average in the stats department. He was never going to win a scholarship. However he and his wife still like sports even to this day. My granddaughters, on the other hand, could outplay me even if I were 50 years younger.

Who knows what’s down the road…..

I asked my son what he wanted to be when he grew up. He said a brain surgeon or a rock star. I bought him a guitar!

My Dad never pushed my brother or me into anything. We chose for ourselves what sports and activities we wanted to participate in. His only criteria were that whatever we did, we enjoyed and that it didn’t interfere with our studies. He always said he refused to live his life vicariously through us – that we were not an extension of his own ego.

I adopted the same philosophy with my own kids and grandkids.

When I grow up, I want to be a firefighting astronaut ballerina.

There couldn’t possibly be any coercion.

What a coincidence – seeing how you love baseball, too…