------_=_NextPart_001_01C550D5.0862F008
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
I digested this over the day, and I can't help but wonder if an equal =
problem is "Parents With Such Busy Lives Disorder"?=20
=20
While I've not been a parent, I have been a kid, and I have worked with =
kids equally glued to their Gameboy or whatever they are now, and in the =
course of days, watched the games disappear until _well_ into transit =
with only the most "ADHD - like" pulling them out by the end, and the =
questions rolling on until I was more than ready for them to play with =
their electronic toys :) This does not an expert make... But I think =
we read enough of their thoughts in the article.
=20
I think there's a tendency with parents, such as the Chicago Suburb =
parent, that they have to do something on a grandiose scale to make up =
for all the "little times" they missed over the course of a year, and go =
do something BIG to interact with nature (which is really more about =
them interacting than their kids). From the kid's perspective, it comes =
loaded with expectations, pressure, all violating the true purpose, =
which is to relax and be family. Probably from the parent's perspective =
too. It's little wonder the kid comes back nature-phobic with all the =
psychology that was intertwined into the experience! =20
=20
We used to to do the same thing growing up... The big Canda fishing =
trip every year. We went back a couple years ago, with all the boys now =
men, 4 of the 5 now addressed as "Dr." (I'm the short end there ;), and =
had time to talk about what we thought growing up. We all agreed that a =
trip to the local lake where our Dad's didn't act like -in-$$es, because we =
were absent from that pressure to "have the time of our lives", would =
have been equally as important. Sure, the fishing there was phenomenal, =
and it was neat to go someplace special, just you and Dad... But it =
probably would have worked much better if there had been some, <ahem>... =
Dress rehersals?
=20
It's certainly not what the parent intended, and kudos to them for even =
trying to make sure they get a week in. I hope I don't sound critical, =
because that's not what I intend, and know probably too well how fast =
life can suck your time away from what you want to be doing. But I =
think adults should see the kid's perspective a bit better. I see those =
toys as just a front... It's like their one little wall they can hide =
behind and not get hurt. It's a quiet way of saying "I don't need you, =
I'm entertained." even though they would _love_ to put the thing down =
and interact with their parent. But as with any crutch, the longer they =
hold it up there... The harder it is to drop it.
=20
I guess what I'm saying, and I've been thinking about this a lot =
recently, is the impact my Grandpa had on my life by just taking me to =
the city park or down to their cottage-in-"The Lake". I got thinking =
about this when Wally Billingham posted that picture of him and his =
mentor, and will have some pics of me and my Grandpa on my website when =
I actually update it this summer :) It was those little trips that =
made the biggest difference in who I was, and who I am now. =20
=20
We never had Atari when I was a kid, my parents didn't have the money =
for that kind of stuff then. Sure it was awkward feeling like "the only =
kid in the world without Atari", but while they were inside playing =
their games... I was out cultivating the worms in the leaf pile, =
preparing for the next time someone took me fishin'. I was setting up =
white sheets and shining a light on it-in-night to see what would come =
to it. And by the time high school hit, and our family had =
significantly more money... I didn't want Nintendo. I had my fishin' =
pole, my bug net and a whole world I explored in my own backyard, safe =
from abduction and all that rot as a kid, and ready to go out on my own =
and explore nature elsewhere. Yeah, I was probably a weird kid, but =
dangit... I was 100% kid engaged in 100% play!
=20
So... I guess what I'm saying is... They can psychologize it to death =
and make what appeared to me as ego-supported conculsions about why =
thier kids don't want to get dirty any more... but really...
=20
It's never too late to start a happy childhood with a little local =
fishin' trip :)
=20
Todd
The Muddy Maumee Madness, Toledo, OH
http://www.farmertodd.com
=20
------_=_NextPart_001_01C550D5.0862F008
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"><HTML =
DIR=3Dltr><HEAD><META HTTP-EQUIV=3D"Content-Type" CONTENT=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Diso-8859-1"></HEAD><BODY><DIV><FONT face=3D'Arial' =
color=3D#000000 size=3D2>I digested this over the day, and I can't help =
but wonder =0A=
if an equal problem is "Parents With Such Busy Lives =
Disorder"? </FONT></DIV>=0A=
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>=0A=
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000000 size=3D2>While I've not been a =
parent, I have =0A=
been a kid, and I have worked with kids equally glued to their Gameboy =
or =0A=
whatever they are now, and in the course of days, watched the games =
disappear =0A=
until _well_ into transit with only the most "ADHD - like" pulling them =
out by =0A=
the end, and the questions rolling on until I was more than ready for =
them to =0A=
play with their electronic toys :) This does not an expert =
make... =0A=
But I think we read enough of their thoughts in the article.</FONT></DIV>=0A=
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>=0A=
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I think there's a tendency with =
parents, such as =0A=
the Chicago Suburb parent, that they have to do something on a grandiose =
scale =0A=
to make up for all the "little times" they missed over the course of a =
year, and =0A=
go do something BIG to interact with nature (which is really more about =
them =0A=
interacting than their kids). From the kid's perspective, it comes =
loaded =0A=
with expectations, pressure, all violating the true purpose, which is to =
relax =0A=
and be family. Probably from the parent's perspective too. =
It's =0A=
little wonder the kid comes back nature-phobic with all the psychology =
that was =0A=
intertwined into the experience! </FONT></DIV>=0A=
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>=0A=
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>We used to to do the same thing growing =
up... =0A=
The big Canda fishing trip every year. We went back a couple years =
ago, =0A=
with all the boys now men, 4 of the 5 now addressed as "Dr." (I'm the =
short end =0A=
there ;), and had time to talk about what we thought growing up. =
We all =0A=
agreed that a trip to the local lake where our Dad's didn't act like =
-in-$$es, =0A=
because we were absent from that pressure to "have the time of our =
lives", would =0A=
have been equally as important. Sure, the fishing there was =
phenomenal, =0A=
and it was neat to go someplace special, just you and Dad... But it =
probably =0A=
would have worked much better if there had been some, <ahem>... =
Dress =0A=
rehersals?</FONT></DIV>=0A=
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>=0A=
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>It's certainly not what the parent =
intended, and =0A=
kudos to them for even trying to make sure they get a week in. I =
hope I =0A=
don't sound critical, because that's not what I intend, and know =
probably too =0A=
well how fast life can suck your time away from what you want to be =
doing. =0A=
But I think adults should see the kid's perspective a bit better. =
I see =0A=
those toys as just a front... It's like their one little wall they can =
hide =0A=
behind and not get hurt. It's a quiet way of saying "I don't need =
you, I'm =0A=
entertained." even though they would _love_ to put the thing down and =
interact =0A=
with their parent. But as with any crutch, the longer they hold it =
up =0A=
there... The harder it is to drop it.</FONT></DIV>=0A=
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>=0A=
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I guess what I'm saying, and I've been =
thinking =0A=
about this a lot recently, is the impact my Grandpa had on my life by =
just =0A=
taking me to the city park or down to their cottage-in-"The Lake". =
I got =0A=
thinking about this when Wally Billingham posted that picture of him and =
his =0A=
mentor, and will have some pics of me and my Grandpa on my website when =
I =0A=
actually update it this summer :) It was those little trips =
that =0A=
made the biggest difference in who I was, and who I am now. =
</FONT></DIV>=0A=
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>=0A=
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>We never had Atari when I was a kid, my =
parents =0A=
didn't have the money for that kind of stuff then. Sure it was =
awkward =0A=
feeling like "the only kid in the world without Atari", but while they =
were =0A=
inside playing their games... I was out cultivating the worms in =
the leaf =0A=
pile, preparing for the next time someone took me fishin'. I was =
setting =0A=
up white sheets and shining a light on it-in-night to see what would =
come to =0A=
it. And by the time high school hit, and our family had =
significantly more =0A=
money... I didn't want Nintendo. I had my fishin' pole, my bug net =
and a =0A=
whole world I explored in my own backyard, safe from abduction and all =
that rot =0A=
as a kid, and ready to go out on my own and explore nature =
elsewhere. =0A=
Yeah, I was probably a weird kid, but dangit... I was 100% kid engaged =
in 100% =0A=
play!</FONT></DIV>=0A=
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>=0A=
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>So... I guess what I'm saying is... =
They can =0A=
psychologize it to death and make what appeared to me as ego-supported =0A=
conculsions about why thier kids don't want to get dirty any more... but =0A=
really...</FONT></DIV>=0A=
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>=0A=
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>It's never too late to start a happy =
childhood with =0A=
a little local fishin' trip :)</FONT></DIV>=0A=
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>=0A=
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Todd</FONT></DIV>=0A=
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The Muddy Maumee Madness, Toledo, =
OH</FONT></DIV>=0A=
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><A =0A=
href=3D"http://www.farmertodd.com">http://www.farmertodd.com</A></FONT></=
DIV>=0A=
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
------_=_NextPart_001_01C550D5.0862F008--
/-----------------------------------------------------------------------
/ This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes
/ Association (NANFA). Comments made on this list do not necessarily
/ reflect the beliefs or goals of NANFA. For more information about NANFA,
/ visit http://www.nanfa.org Please make sure all posts to nanfa-l are
/ consistent with the guidelines as per
/ http://www.nanfa.org/guidelines.shtml To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get
/ help, visit the NANFA email list home page and archive at
/ http://www.nanfa.org/email.shtml