May 6, 2013
The Real Strength of Heredity - or is it Environment?

I am still in deep meditation thinking about my experience as a babysitter. It's a lot different watching the grandchildren for an hour or even a day than when you are living with them for a week. It reminds me of deja vu - only it's the flash back memories of living with your own children for 30 years and compressing those  30 years  into seven days with children who are just like their parents. This astonishing moment blind-sighted me especially because it came out word perfect 32 years later with an eight year old who wasn't even born when his father was eight. It happened like this:

Sam: (the current eight year old grandson) Nanny, can I go to the Provo Beach (a local recreation spot made for indoor activities in the cold winter days - includes bowling, video games, water activities etc. etc. etc.) with Eli?

Nanny: Sam, remember that today you made the decision to go skiing instead of to Provo Beach and it's too close to dinner to go there now.

Sam: Well, can I just go play with Eli?

Nanny: (so good hearted and kind) Of course dear; be home by 5:45 because we're having dinner at six.

At 5:58 I call Eli's house to remind him to come home and learn to my total and shocking realization that he conned Eli's mother into taking him to Provo Beach. Stunned, I get on my broom and fly to Provo Beach, a 15 minute drive reduced to seven minutes. As I pass over bridges and roof tops I am contemplating the best abd quickest way to send him packing to his room or worse but also the amazing skills he had inherited so innocently from his father. Skidding to a halt I see him grinning on the sidewalk and in my most syrupy voice I say,

" Why Sam, I thought we had decided that you could go to Eli's to play".

'' That's what I did, Nanny, I went to Eli's and we came here to play".

And he learned that without being there when his father was eight. It's scary.