An email from a friend
I wish more parents understood what you do, particularly about children having their own personalities that must be respected. Too many parents assume that their kids are soulless blank slates that just move around a lot, which should be molded and manipulated into something that not only do they not want to be, but would not even benefit from being.
AMEN!
Just as one of my older brother's two daughters just demonstrated by their behavior. One was born in 2003, the other in 2004. Yet the younger one cries a lot more often, the older one being a lot more playful. Yet both are the same gender, have the same exact parents, and are only a year apart.
People are born with personalities. Some are born to be more active, some are born to be more reserved.
And seemingly, in the case of a former friend from high school, some are born to be excessive complainers!
Yes, the social environment does play a role. But it's not the end-all, be-all of everything. As my nieces grow and grow, they'll most likely live with the same parents and in the same neighborhood, and likely go to the same schools. Yet, they'll probably have different interests, different friends, and end up working in different occupations.
As in my case, my father and my brother (my nieces' father) are both working in occupations that involve a lot of mechanical work. My dad works construction, my brother works as an auto mechanic. Though I spent my pre-adult years living with them, I NEVER want to work as a mechanic or a construction worker. Those jobs have NEVER interested me. I never took a mechanics class, nor was I ever interested in taking them.
So it's safe to say, that it is an inborn trait in me to not like mechanical work. It's not my personality.
It's probably not hereditary, it's probably more a chance of luck. Chances are, if my parents did the wild thing a month later in both cases, it'll be my older brother being the non-mechanic and me being the mechanic. Maybe.
Or maybe it's God putting my brother on earth for mechanical purposes, me for other purposes.
