american_mama
08-30-2013, 06:54 PM
I live in a very smug college town filled with tons of smart, well-traveled, well-educated, interesting people who know it and show it. Unfortunately, they seem unaware that while their lives are indeed interesting, they are shockingly similar to many other people's lives. There is a person at school who follows this pattern and I stayed away from her for years because of it. Even though she is indeed interesting, smart, well-traveled, yaddah yaddah.
Alas, I had conversation with her today about youth sports - you know, those sports that EVERY child OF COURSE loves to do and of course is good at and of course is part of their healthy, well-balanced life of nature hikes and organic food and such. I could have kept nodding sagely, acting like indeed every family and parent is exactly like that, but I chose to say something outside the party lines. I pointed out that my sister was really up a creek because my teen niece doesn't like physical activity of any kind, and she has become overweight. She likes quiet, still, indoor activities - sewing, reading, crafts, board games. My niece is working hard to lose some weight, including significant diet change and a nightly walk, but my niece finds the walk the worst part. School mom's response was that she grew up in NYC where people have to walk all the time, there's no choice. Not really helpful advice for my niece, who lives in a car-oriented new suburb where absolutely nothing is walkable. Plus, it ignored my main point, which was sympathy for my sister and niece, plus others, who have an uphill battle against their own personalities in the need to be active.
Thanks for listening.
Alas, I had conversation with her today about youth sports - you know, those sports that EVERY child OF COURSE loves to do and of course is good at and of course is part of their healthy, well-balanced life of nature hikes and organic food and such. I could have kept nodding sagely, acting like indeed every family and parent is exactly like that, but I chose to say something outside the party lines. I pointed out that my sister was really up a creek because my teen niece doesn't like physical activity of any kind, and she has become overweight. She likes quiet, still, indoor activities - sewing, reading, crafts, board games. My niece is working hard to lose some weight, including significant diet change and a nightly walk, but my niece finds the walk the worst part. School mom's response was that she grew up in NYC where people have to walk all the time, there's no choice. Not really helpful advice for my niece, who lives in a car-oriented new suburb where absolutely nothing is walkable. Plus, it ignored my main point, which was sympathy for my sister and niece, plus others, who have an uphill battle against their own personalities in the need to be active.
Thanks for listening.