Sideswipe
Previous generation parenting
1.“We had a Volvo station wagon and dad let us ride on the roof holding on to the luggage rack! (And now he flips out if my kids are not buckled into car seats before we start the engine).”
2. “My parents moved out and left me to live in the house when I was 16. We had exactly one conversation about it, whereby they asked if I wanted to move to another state with them and I said no . . . I wasn’t allowed to heat the house up much, so I always wore a snow jacket inside, and basically just came home to sleep. But now that I’m older, I realise that it’s more on the line of child abandonment . . . oh well.”
3.“Got my first pair of four inch heels when I just turned 12 years old. Shiny black patent mules. I mean, I begged for those shoes, but as an adult — ew. By 15 I’d worn high heels so much that my tendons shortened and it was painful to walk in flat shoes or even bare feet. Thankfully I’m no longer an idiot and have accepted my shortarsed-ness.”
Weird-good teacher
A reader writes: “I had a teacher in the late 80s who spent his school holidays building props for the class. We arrived back from holiday to discover an airplane made from paper maˆche´ that spanned all four corners and hung from the rafters of our class. He was a fantastic teacher. Another holiday break he built the Doctor Who Tardis and that lived in the corner of the class.”
To sleep, perchance to dream
In 1957, a California prison began an experiment in convict rehabilitation. As the prisoners slept, they heard the soothing voice of a psychiatrist saying: “Listen, my inner self, remember and obey this creed of life: Live relaxed, completely and utterly relaxed . . . Love, rule my life. Love God, my family, and others . . . Have faith . . . work with others . . . Face life without fear, be calm, unafraid . . . Know myself and my faults . . . Live without alcohol . . . Alcohol is a poison. I do not need alcohol. Abstain with ease. Alcohol is repulsive to me . . . I am truly happy. I give my life to my family, to my friends, and to the world. I am filled with love and compassion for all, so help me God.” Soon after ‘Operation Sleep’ guards noticed the young inmates did not cause the same amount of trouble and started coming to them for counsel. But the most notable change? The decrease in alcoholism revealed by surveys among ex-prisoners.