Writer’s Rant for 12/23/23
“Adults are always asking children what they want to be when they grow up because they’re looking for ideas.” (Paula Poundstone). My grandson Jack likes to play this game with me. He calls it the “Opposites” game. We are supposed to view everything from the opposite viewpoint. For example, I am young while he is old. He drives me instead of me driving him. He is big and tall while I am short and small. His favorite color becomes blue and mine becomes red. Sometimes I think we live in a world opposite of what it should be. For example, we push our children to make life decisions right out of high school before they have any experience or even an idea of what they want to do the rest of their lives. Even worse, we send young people off to fight wars; wars which we older folks have gotten us into. They haven’t had a chance to experience life yet and may never have that opportunity. Wouldn’t it be better to send all of us older folks who have already lived our lives off to war instead? When I was growing up, I had a few ideas of what I wanted to do with my life, but the bottom line was I could go to college and study journalism or I could join the military and possibly end up in Viet Nam. I chose college and journalism, but it didn’t last. I was disillusioned and changed my major. It wasn’t until my retirement and some 45 years of living in an opposite world, that my grandson Jack reminded me of what I wanted to be when I grew up. I’m finally grown up and have returned to the writing world from which I began. Thank you Jack.
