Those Amazing Kids
This is a collection of five personal incidents in my life that illustrate some remarkable qualities of our new generations.
The Log Roller
One summer, when the kids were getting bored, I decided to make some use of a recently dead Eastern Hemlock tree on our property in Wellington, Nova Scotia. I cut it up into sections but one section was longer than the rest at about 12 feet. I managed to get it down to the river where I attached a rope on it and let it float close to our little dock. Then, I put the second stage of my plan into action by climbing on to the log and started to roll it by walking on it, maintaining my balance with the rhythm.
I was practicing a popular sport in my native village of Bear River, called "log rolling". The object was to gain proficiency to the point where I could outlast anyone else who challenged me on the log. As I continued this endeavor, my son, Bill, approached and remarked "What are you doing Dad? "Log rolling". I replied. Just as I had planned, Bill wanted to try it too, and soon we were both running on the log. Bill fell into the water fist as I knew he would.
Since he had signaled an interest, I continued to explain that my home village of Bear River was the home of three champion log rollers, Watson Peck, the World's Champion, Eber Peck, the North American Champion, and Viola Paul, the Women's World Champion. Then, I entered into a bit of reverse psychology. I remarked that since I came from Bear River, I had a natural ability to balance on a log that Bill would never have.
I could see him bristle at this suggestion, and it was the sort of response I was looking for. Bill stayed with that log every day teaching himself how to maintain his balance, and he was getting better at it. I became busy in my own matters, and forgot about the log for awhile. About a month later, Bill said one day, "Dad, Come down to the river, I want to show you something". I followed him down to the river and right to the log.
It was still floating and tied to the dock. Bill, confidently jumped on to the centre of the log and started spinning it, He stayed on. As he made it go faster and faster, he still stayed on. Then, he managed to slow it down, and reversed the spinning direction. He still stayed on. Then, he sped it up again. He was behaving like a professional log roller, and I was utterly amazed. I hadn't seen anyone go that well on a log since my youth when the champions displayed their prowess.
What I hadn't told Bill, was that I was never very good at it, but I was very proud of him and I thought here was a champion in the making, and I was sure that if he ever got the opportunity, he would be a World Champion himself. This incident showed me that Bill had the determination and talent to do anything he set his mind to, and in some areas better than his old man! I never challenged him on this one again.
The Chess Player
As the kids got into their teen years, I decided to teach them Chess. I was the Chess Champion of my High School in Digby, and I thought this would be a great distraction for them and also a good intellectual developer. Bill, in particular, took it very serious. I would invariably beat him every game, so he decided to quit playing for awhile. I didn't know it but he had actually decided to study the game as it was described in our Encyclopedia Britannica. There were several chess problems listed there and how to solve them. I had never used that source of knowledge for Chess, and I didn't even realize there was a section about chess there.
After about a month Bill asked me for a game of chess. I eagerly accepted and we got into it. I soon realized this was a new Bill. He was much more confident and better at his moves. He improved steadily until after awhile, he actually became better than me. The ultimate humiliation came when he refused to play with me anymore as he said I was a "pushover". Bill went on to become the Chess Champion of his High School and also of his Army Regiment. Again, he showed me his brilliance when provoked.
The Victor Mature Thing
One day when Kalin was about ten or eleven, I decided to impress her with one of my unique abilities. I called her over, and said "Look at my face". As she watched, I independently lifted my right eyebrow without moving the left one. To emphasize this ability, I repeated the move a couple more times. She looked at me in astonishment, and remarked "How did you do that, Dad?"
I replied, Victor Mature was one of my idols, and I practiced it to be just like him. "I looked at myself in the mirror, and held my left eyebrow down and practiced until I could do it well, just like Victor Mature did in his movies. That was his trade mark, you know". With that, I forgot about this little bit of showing off until about a month later, when Kalin came up to me and said "Dad, Look at me". As I watched, she nonchalantly independently lifted one eyebrow and then the other. She repeated the action alternating each eyebrow movement several times to my astonishment.
This was something I was never able to do, and I couldn't help but ask her "How did you do that?" The reply - "Practice Dad, lots of practice".
How To Turn Off A Solar-Powered Calculator
Frustrated one day with my inability to turn my solar-powered calculator off, I turned to my daughter, Tanya and asked her, "How can I turn the power off on this thing?" Without any hesitation at all, she grabbed the calculator and placed her entire hand over it, pressed every key pad down at once, and it went off immediately. Shocked by this impressive ability, I asked her "How did you ever discover that?" She merely shrugged and walked away. I never did find out how she came to know that "trick". It wasn't written anywhere, but it sure gave me a new respect for this smart little ten year old.
Do What I Do Poppa
One day, April, my little 4 year old grand daughter, and I had just been to a Tim Horton's and were in the possession of two Iced Cappuccinos. As we were driving along, suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my head. I exclaimed "Gee, my head aches!" April immediately asked "Why Poppa?"
I replied "I guess I drank my Iced Cappuccino too fast." Without hesitation, the little 4 year old girl looked up at me. held up her relatively untouched drink, and said "Do what I do Poppa."
I was completely overwhelmed by this generous and completely genuine offer of personal advice from someone 62 years younger than me. Now, every time I get a cold headache from drinking an Iced Cappuccino too fast, I remember this little incident, and I think, where is April when I really need her?
Author's note: The above incidents really happened, and they all illustrate the unique and genuinely amazing abilities of our newer generations, often to the utter dismay of us older folks. My children and my grandchildren often continue to amaze me, and sometimes prove I can learn from them.