I wonder if this author has children. I couldn’t read because of paywall. My life came to a slow and boredom was setting in slowly until I had a child. Living through his life makes me feel excited again, not for myself but knowing everything he’ll go experience. If anyone reading this has a choice in having kids but hadn’t yet, I’d highly recommend it. Yes it’s hard and strange at first but worth every moment. Just now I smiled at my 6 Mo old kiddo and he laughed at me. It's moment like this that make me realize what's important in life and one of the reasons I enjoy working for myself from home - even at the cost of much less pay.
Alternatively, if you can’t or don’t want children of your own. You can leverage the power of other people’s children. Sounds creepy but hear me out: it’s either your niece or nephew or a family friends’ kids. I am good friends with an older couple and I go to the daughter’s softball games once in a while. I’m a guy so it doesn’t look right so I try not to overdo it, but when she does well I feel like a proud parent and when she does poorly I feel bad. Not as intense as what her parents must feel but I prefer less intensity in my emotions. Which is why I had a vasectomy at age 29 but I digress.
I feel like the idea of “living through” one’s kids has a lot of negative connotations——pushing them to spend hours a day on something they hate, etc. But there is absolutely something to be said for being able to see the world through your kid’s eyes. They get so excited about things that are totally mundane to adults. (My one year old yesterday had to stop and examine each little hole in the sidewalk as we walked.) That wonder at the world is certainly infectious.
There’s beauty in seeing the world through a child’s eyes, even as an adult. Where life is wonder. Nature is really great at infecting one with wonder as well.
This one is strange to me, as I can't help but see it as an offset of sorts. The problem unresolved, has been pushed onto the next generation. That generation, having encountered the same problem, will then, too, push it to the next generation.
> "what's important in life"
Very common epithet. The important thing in your life is the next person? And then the important thing in the life of that person is their next person? Wait, what?
