Thursday, May 10, 2007 . 10:53 PM

I want to be an astronaut... a doctor... an ENVIRONMENTALIST!

One day at the pool, I overheard this conversation between a father and his son. The son was swimming and he found pieces of rubbish.

Dad: Go and throw the rubbish into the yellow bin over there.
Son: Where?
Dad: Over there. (while pointing to the rubbish bin)

Son very obediently walks over and throws the rubbish, which he picked up at the bottom of the pool. I was very impressed by this scene and felt that the dad was definitely a role model. After this, the son continues to dive down to the bottom of the pool and continues picking up rubbish.

Dad: Why you so itchy fingers? Stop picking up rubbish.
Son: Cannot. We must pick up. If not, the pool will be very dirty.
Dad: There are cleaners to do that!

I was appalled at his comments. At this time, I felt that maybe the dad was just trying to be a good citizen and who knows what he might have done if no one was watching. Instead of encouraging his son, he chided him. I mean I agree with what he said and I definitely would not dive down and be collecting scraps of crap anytime soon but then I admire the kid for his environmentalist streak and civic mindedness.

More often than not kids have the potential to dream big and sometimes (sadly) its our parents or adults who tell us otherwise. They dash our hopes and tell us to be realistic but yet there are things that adults have to unlearn and learn not to impose their standards on the little ones. I'm sure we have all heard stories of how children are put down by their parents and they end up being traumatised or they might have experienced all this first hand. Thinking they are never good enough. Well I believe everyone has it in them to dream big and make their dreams come true. Thank God I have supportive parents. They have never once put me down. In fact, I think they sometimes have higher expectations of me than I have of myself. If only we all could release that inner child in all of us once again. Ah... The age of innocence.

Slacker