It's Only my Mother...

Well, the title could have said, my Dad, Uncle, Aunt, or any other Family Member or Best Friend.

My wife called around noon today, wondering when my 17-year-old son was going to show up at work (she is his boss). Her tone and what seemed to be a few hundred words (reminded me of when adults talked in any Charlie Brown episode) meant she was angry. Our son was taking advantage of having his mother as his boss.

I intercepted our youngest child (he has an older brother & sister) before he got into his car to go to work and recited dad's advice #14,234. I think that is the number. "Son, when your parent is your boss, coach, teacher or any other authority figure you need to work a little harder, demonstrate more respect, and be more considerate, just to be an equal of non family." Right or wrong, as a coach, my children had to work harder than their counterparts to be equal.

As parents (mostly biased parents), we have seen sons & daughters of instructors, coaches, directors, etc. catapulted to stardom when their skills did not demonstrate the "greatness" of others. We could complain, change venues, educate our children how unfair life is or use the energy to better ourselves.

Readers, please don't get in my face on this one. Equality? Fairness? Get Real! This is life.

Son, ALWAYS choose to be better.

-There is no difference in the professional world. As an Instructor for a college I have seen individuals teaching that did not know the subject matter of what they were teaching, when others, with years of experience, were available.

-At a trade show, a man was conducting a session on how to profit from multiple owned shops while he was entering bankruptcy trying to run multiple shops.

After my child left, I reflected back on my teachers & coaches. My mother and father never coached me in any sport, and they were not formal educators.

My best recollection concerns Kevin and myself. Kevin and I played trumpet. Kevin's dad was a great man, which I owe much to, and he was our band director for years. Long story short, Kevin was better than I at sight-reading, tone and dynamics. I guess I was good at douits - dits - wawoos -neya or other weird sounds (soulful I might add) than Kevin. Kevin and I would vacillate between 1st and 2nd chair when Kevin should have always been the 1st chair. What a guy! Admit this 30+ years later? Well, clarity introduces itself when you’re In-Between Swing Sets.