And lo on Tue, 12 Aug 2008 21:01:14 +0100, Orchid XP v8 <voi### [at] devnull>  
did spake, saying:

> Jim Henderson wrote:
>
>> None of us gets an instruction manual on how to be a parent.

Though that's only a matter of time, with fines if you don't do things  
correctly.

> How about this: When I was about 3 years old, I walked to the local  
> nursry by myself one day. Just found a chair, opened the front door and  
> toddled over there. It's about 1 mile and involves crossing a small road.
>
> When I got home, my mother was hyperventilating. My mumbled responce of  
> "I walked to nursry but it was shut but then a nice man gave me a  
> sweety" didn't seem to calm her down.

When I was younger (so much younger than today) I took our neighbour's  
kid, his younger sister and her pushchair up to the local store; like you  
about a mile away, but crossing about four minor roads. We were discovered  
loading up the chair with items by the shop assistants who contacted our  
parents, an advantage of doing things locally, heh see I've always liked  
shopping :-)

>>> Like I said, a stressful and thankless task. :-(
>>  Not at all.  Ken turns 21 in a few weeks; he still lives at home (he's  
>> at the local university when school's in session), and when I'm working  
>> from home, he frequently comes by and gives me a hug for no reason; he  
>> still comes in and kisses us goodnight before going to bed.
>
> Heh. I guess because *my* parents were always quite distant I forget  
> what it's like to be a normal family...

I gotta say what with you having a sister I'm surprised how you present  
yourself; I'm an only child but I was lucky in that a) I had a cousin of  
the same age I saw frequently, and b) I was raised in a cul-de-sac next to  
a vast expanse of wilderness that attracted a large age-range of kids from  
the entire locality.

-- 
Phil Cook

--
I once tried to be apathetic, but I just couldn't be bothered
http://flipc.blogspot.com

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