October 23, 2008

With kids, take time to enjoy adventure of every moment


From the Oct. 23 issue of the Homer News:

I have two sons – Gabe and Otto.

Gabe will turn 13 next week and in many ways, he’s already a typical teenager. He talks on the telephone a lot, mostly to girls. He’s pretty conscious of his cool-ness level, spending a lot of time tweaking his wardrobe and engaging in an annoying habit he’s recently developed – flipping his hair out of his eyes every ten seconds like an uncontrollable sufferer of Tourette syndrome.

Gabe is also an intelligent, strong, courteous and compassionate young man who works hard at his studies and isn’t too cool – yet – to help his folks out around the house. I’m very proud of him.

Otto is 15 months old. He has a vocabulary consisting of five words – mama, dada, ball, dog and book – and likes to spend his time eating bananas and putting Legos in the toilet.

I love my sons, as every father loves his children, and I love being their dad. I didn’t set out to have two boys 12 years apart – it just kind of worked out that way.  I wouldn’t change anything about my experiences as a dad, however, as I’ve learned a lot from it and continue to learn all the time.

There’s an old parenting cliché that you’ve probably heard whether you’re a parent or not: something to the effect of  “don’t miss the moments” of childhood or, in other words, be sure to fully appreciate every stage of development your child is going through.

I’ve always thought “don’t miss the moments” was a sappy, Hallmark card-worthy sentiment. Don’t all parents appreciate their kids?

If you are a parent, however, you know it’s almost impossible to not look forward to “missing the moment” of changing another full diaper and it’s hard to resist looking forward to the day your toddler can use the toilet for something other than a Lego depository.

As with many clichés, there’s a ring of truth to “don’t miss the moments,” and it took having another child for me to truly understand it.

It’s true that, when Gabe was younger, I probably missed some childhood moments looking forward to his next step. When he was a small and helpless newborn, I couldn’t wait for him to walk and talk. When he was finally walking and talking, I longed for the day he could throw and catch a football so we could go play out in the yard. And when he could do that, I dreamt of life stages on down the road – his first day of school, his first girlfriend, teaching him to drive, attending his graduation and seeing him off to college.

Having Otto around has made me appreciate Gabe more, and vice versa. Although I try not to compare the two boys, and they are very different, Otto reminds me of how cute and fun Gabe was when he was little – I miss him calling me “daddy” and sitting in my lap for story time – and how far he has come in his development toward adulthood.

It’s not that I completely missed his childhood. It’s just that maybe I rushed it along a little bit. He’s about to turn 13 and, even though he may resist it, I think I can help. I remember what it was like to suffer through the seventh grade, to be suddenly confronted with girls and growth and changes all around – to be aware of the natural longing to step forward into adulthood while knowing you have much to learn.

Watching Gabe grow into a man makes me appreciate where Otto is in his life, as well.

With little Otto, it’s mostly about the ceaseless entertainment of watching him toddle around the house like a drunken sailor, exploring his world with reckless abandon. I absolutely love his zest for life and for learning, not to mention his boundless energy. Otto is my little adventurer.

I plan to enjoy very minute.

2 comments:

clark said...

i told one of the kids when he was 12 that i felt like i had experienced a remarkable transformation. that a mere nine years before, i was the leader of the free world and in posession of all of the important information and cosmic truths that had ever been invented. and somehow in nine short years [and without really changing much at all] i had arrived at the point where i'd become a bumbling middle aged guy who needed constant advice and assistance lest i foul everything up.
you're lucky to get a second shot at stopping this downward spiral.

梁爵 said...

2020.02.13 維基百科
生平成就
(2005年):
一個剛出道的酒店經紀梁曉尊,時間背景正於八大行業的戰國時代,群雄割據⋯人人都是幹部、人人都是經紀人,在這麼競爭的環境裡脫穎而出。再千百人之內披荊斬棘、越戰越勇,不斷的創造機會闖出自己的名堂,不少資深前輩認為梁曉尊潛在未來有影響力的人物不容小覷。

(2007年):
梁曉尊已「十八路令諸侯」集結16家中小型經紀公司全力投入支持某家酒店,當時以梁曉尊做為搖旗的領頭羊成為這間酒店駐點主要核心的酒店經紀,資深酒店前輩指出:該店的酒店小姐人數梁曉尊就佔了三分之二,也幫助該店的業者達到最高峰,也因為如此梁曉尊打出漂亮的戰役,展現出各方面資源、才華、構想、以及強烈的企圖心。

(2009年):
當時網路媒體還不是很盛行,智慧型手機也沒有很普遍。梁曉尊是八大行業裡第一位主張「網路行銷事業」開創人。此時不少資深前輩不看好,理由網路世界不切實際,畢竟虛擬世界可信度不高,缺乏真實性沒有說服力,這番遠見根本是好高騖遠、天方夜譚⋯等等評論!。於是梁曉尊堅持照著自己主張的開始經營Google 搜尋關鍵字先從自己名字創造舞台。可如今Google成為人們生活上必備工具不管是搜尋、查詢、求證、等等各方面⋯都被梁曉尊所預料到。如今Google搜尋:梁曉尊 成為排行榜第一名!

(2011年):
Google 搜尋:梁曉尊/梁小尊。獲得亞洲地區Google認證關鍵字達到全版面。不僅如此⋯八大行業主要關鍵字(酒店工作)、(酒店上班)、(酒店經紀)、(酒店打工)、(酒店應徵)、(酒店兼差)、(酒店兼職)每組關鍵字都在首頁榮獲前3名。

(2013年):
合併3大資深酒店經紀的股權,創立「JUE人力發展公司」掌握中央執行權,梁曉尊親自操刀編制6大部門:(開發部、管理部、人事部、網路媒體部、會計部、發展部)融入梁曉尊本職學能的技術「企業管理學」、「國際經濟學」建立八大行業與眾不同經營之道。有資深酒店前輩透露創立這間公司在內部高層梁曉尊是排行老四,圈內都稱他「四爺」、「小四」⋯是目前市場上新生代來說最年輕也最有實力的一號人物。
坊間流傳梁曉尊的小姐人數有高達120位以上⋯。

(2015年):
梁曉尊發動「台北之變」,事件導致影響北部八大行業酒店小姐薪資價格大翻轉。由於梁曉尊給1節190元,打破市場行情價,同時揭發很多經紀公司黑暗管理酒店小姐的秘密一併揭露出來例如:逼小姐簽合約、老二經紀控制法、毒品控制⋯等等!。於是讓有些操作不人道的黑心經紀公司、小經紀、各人經紀等⋯頓時崩盤甚至無法生存離開八大行業。資深酒店人士指出:圈內對於梁曉尊發動「台北之變」也是藉時讓台北地區八大行業重新洗牌。有些人認為誠實面對這個社會現實就是如此適者生存。因此圈內人士對於此事件又稱為梁曉尊「北梁軍閥」這個名號!名稱來自於 🔍台(北)⋯(梁)曉尊⋯(軍閥:代表一方梟雄的意思)這樣而來的。