Comments on: Throw Them Into the Deep End http://mytimeasahuman.com/throw-them-into-the-deep-end/40 writings by Kai Mantsch Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:06:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: jodie http://mytimeasahuman.com/throw-them-into-the-deep-end/40#comment-72 jodie Sun, 11 May 2008 17:33:57 +0000 http://mytimeasahuman.com/throw-them-into-the-deep-end/40#comment-72 synchronous timing here. not many hours before reading this, i was in a conversation with an italian and argentinian about this precise tension between protecting a child and letting that child learn how to navigate life well. situation at hand: one of them has a friend considering whether or not to send his 14-year to a US boarding school to keep him off the streets of buenos aires. i've felt fortunate a thousand times over that i have parents who let me explore life, especially when contrasted to so many of my dear friends whose parents still have a hard time letting their 30-something children live their own lives and learn from their experiences. i'm all for safety nets, though, like your dad being there with you, kai, to eventually show you the way home...it must be crazy hard for parents to strike that balance between pushing a child to be independent and not creating too much failure-related anxiety. synchronous timing here. not many hours before reading this, i was in a conversation with an italian and argentinian about this precise tension between protecting a child and letting that child learn how to navigate life well. situation at hand: one of them has a friend considering whether or not to send his 14-year to a US boarding school to keep him off the streets of buenos aires. i’ve felt fortunate a thousand times over that i have parents who let me explore life, especially when contrasted to so many of my dear friends whose parents still have a hard time letting their 30-something children live their own lives and learn from their experiences. i’m all for safety nets, though, like your dad being there with you, kai, to eventually show you the way home…it must be crazy hard for parents to strike that balance between pushing a child to be independent and not creating too much failure-related anxiety.

]]> By: winnie http://mytimeasahuman.com/throw-them-into-the-deep-end/40#comment-70 winnie Fri, 09 May 2008 23:42:10 +0000 http://mytimeasahuman.com/throw-them-into-the-deep-end/40#comment-70 my sense of direction is a little too good. i remember this one time i was at a friend's place several counties away in nj. i somehow missed the on-ramp to the highway and navigated myself through backroads and small suburban towns for about 40 minutes before i somehow, magically, ended up in a familiar nearby town - about 5 miles from my own. in my early days of travelling during my semester abroad in london, upon reaching new european cities, i was always the one out of all my friends who could easily figure out public transport and get us to our destination. i was also pretty good at finding the best watering holes and restaurants in town with nothing more than a metro map and an address written in a foreign language. sometimes it feels like a superpower. othertimes, i am frustrated that when sent off into the abyss to wander and enjoy the sense of being 'lost', that i find it almost impossible to reach that state of mind. my sense of direction is a little too good.

i remember this one time i was at a friend’s place several counties away in nj. i somehow missed the on-ramp to the highway and navigated myself through backroads and small suburban towns for about 40 minutes before i somehow, magically, ended up in a familiar nearby town - about 5 miles from my own.

in my early days of travelling during my semester abroad in london, upon reaching new european cities, i was always the one out of all my friends who could easily figure out public transport and get us to our destination. i was also pretty good at finding the best watering holes and restaurants in town with nothing more than a metro map and an address written in a foreign language.

sometimes it feels like a superpower. othertimes, i am frustrated that when sent off into the abyss to wander and enjoy the sense of being ‘lost’, that i find it almost impossible to reach that state of mind.

]]> By: Kai Mantsch http://mytimeasahuman.com/throw-them-into-the-deep-end/40#comment-59 Kai Mantsch Fri, 09 May 2008 21:38:15 +0000 http://mytimeasahuman.com/throw-them-into-the-deep-end/40#comment-59 Oh don't get me wrong! Times with my dad were always fun. I'm still trekking today because of it! Despite the fact that the little challenges he would present me with were sometimes demoralizing when I couldn't figure them out, they were still good bonding time too. Oh don’t get me wrong! Times with my dad were always fun. I’m still trekking today because of it! Despite the fact that the little challenges he would present me with were sometimes demoralizing when I couldn’t figure them out, they were still good bonding time too.

]]> By: starr http://mytimeasahuman.com/throw-them-into-the-deep-end/40#comment-58 starr Fri, 09 May 2008 21:12:28 +0000 http://mytimeasahuman.com/throw-them-into-the-deep-end/40#comment-58 I accepted my lack of a sense of direction long ago, figuring my brain is way busy with all kinds of other things, I eventually find my way and have no stress about it. I have had lots of people get annoyed, frustrated and downright mean to me because of it though, and the interesting thing is that because I'm relaxed about my own directional handicap, I do worse when there is someone else there, because I'm nervous about messing up. when I'm on my own, I have no problem turning around if I need to, or taking a bit longer, sometimes I discover things I would have never seen before! Your description of the "tests" with your dad make me cringe with anxiety... I accepted my lack of a sense of direction long ago, figuring my brain is way busy with all kinds of other things, I eventually find my way and have no stress about it. I have had lots of people get annoyed, frustrated and downright mean to me because of it though, and the interesting thing is that because I’m relaxed about my own directional handicap, I do worse when there is someone else there, because I’m nervous about messing up. when I’m on my own, I have no problem turning around if I need to, or taking a bit longer, sometimes I discover things I would have never seen before!

Your description of the “tests” with your dad make me cringe with anxiety…

]]> By: Mandie http://mytimeasahuman.com/throw-them-into-the-deep-end/40#comment-57 Mandie Fri, 09 May 2008 20:51:43 +0000 http://mytimeasahuman.com/throw-them-into-the-deep-end/40#comment-57 I used to "get lost" a lot in the back roads of Indiana after I obtained my license. A part of the fun was purposefully not remembering the way back and trying to go a different way. That doesn't mean I don't love my GPS. It seems like the time you spent with your dad would have been fun except for all the pressure involved. I'd love to have a partner to get lost with every once in a while, but no one seems to appreciate or have time for that anymore. I used to “get lost” a lot in the back roads of Indiana after I obtained my license. A part of the fun was purposefully not remembering the way back and trying to go a different way. That doesn’t mean I don’t love my GPS.

It seems like the time you spent with your dad would have been fun except for all the pressure involved. I’d love to have a partner to get lost with every once in a while, but no one seems to appreciate or have time for that anymore.

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