If I had to describe myself in two words, this is what I would say: risk averse. I am afraid of heights, can't stand driving and loathe casinos. It's amazing I have any friends given how much fun I am.
Any of you who have children, or have spent more than 5 minutes with a toddler, can probably guess where this is headed: anxiety ridden mom + dora the explorer = oh good god, I've become that person.
Ironically, (or maybe fittingly), Geno and I have spent a fair amount of time discussing helicopter parents. Working in secondary and higher ed, we both see our fair share of overly involved, can't let your kid do it on her own, types of parents. (Yes, even in law school.) It's pretty good motivation for trying to escape becoming one of the parents bemoaned in articles like this.
Given my self-admitted risk issues, however, it's going to be particularly challenging for me to stand back when I see Mateo headed towards something that makes my palms sweat. But in the interest of being a good mother, I'm going to make like Ben Stiller in Along Came Polly and try get over it.
What the heck are you talking about, you may ask... Well, here's a nice summary of his thoughts pre-risk-is-good epiphany. (And pretty hilarious if you imagine it's me saying this to Mateo.)
"I know that I have a .013% chance of being hit by a car on my way home. Or a one in 46,000 chance of falling through a subway grate. So I try to manage that risk by avoiding danger and having a plan and knowing what my next move is. And I guess you don't exactly live your life that way. Yeah... which is great, but I'm not gonna ever be a dirty dancer, and I don't eat food with my hands, and I really like you, but I just don't think this is gonna work out."
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