Friday, 13 June 2008

Life on the edge

We all have a super ego, right? Like in our heads we are to think of ourselves as beautiful, or confident, or daring, or free-spirited. And I like to think of myself as roguish, because, you know, I have done exciting things. I have done foolish things, and I have done dangerous things. OK, don't pin me down, I can't actually think of exactly what right now, but give me time and I probably will.

But how cruel is the world to a self image! And especially from children.
Shark: What are the dangerous and exciting things you have done?
Mummy Grit: Er... er... howabout sleeping in a hammock in the Amazon jungle? There might have been snakes.
Shark: That was ages ago.
Mummy Grit: Well, crossing the road in Delhi. I am still here to tell the tale.
Shark: That was before we were born.
Mummy Grit: OK, you tell me what I have done that you can remember is dangerous and exciting.
Squirrel: Well sometimes you park in a parking space and we are not sure whether it is a paying car space. And that is dangerous.
Mummy Grit: Why?
Shark: You might get a parking fine.
Tiger: Yes! That is dangerous. But it doesn't mean you are very exciting.


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Do you mean that none of the stuff that I did before the kids were born counts? Hmm, well, it's a bit difficult to do exciting and dangerous things and still be home in time to tuck them in...

I assume they will not be convinced that merely raising triplets - let alone home educating them - is both extremly exciting and dangerous?

Grit said...

you are right trevor. none of us existed before they were born, so nothing there counts.

and as for home educating the darlings, pah! that is normal! stumbling about in fields in the dark, building time machines out of wool, hunting down a UK lichen expert, driving half way around the country for a castle and being sent down a Victorian mine in the name of education is all NORMAL!