Hitting the Wall

Michael is just like me.

I'm sure he'd be bummed, reading that. On the other hand, since he's just like me, he's unlikely to bother to read his own dad's blog, being as subsumed as he is with Halo or Runescape or some other such mental folderol.

Still, he's just like me.

All through elementary school, junior high, and high school, I never studied. I did do my homework (in a whip-through-it-so-I-can-go-and-play-basketball kind of way), but study? Never. Literally never. I think if you added up all the time I spent studying for a test during those 12 years, it wouldn't total 20 minutes. And I got good enough grades -- not quite a 4.0, but close enough (only the occasional B).

Then I went to college and got my butt kicked. Oh, I figured out the party aspect quickly enough, but had no idea how (or why) to work. Suddenly, I was pulling C's...and D's...and worse. My freshman year was a mess. Once I got behind, I couldn't get caught up.

Michael's rowing that same boat ashore. He coasted through elementary school with all A's, and even in 7th grade he got predominantly A's (by doing little work). Now, however, taking Advanced Geometry and Honors Science and Honors English, he's finding that work is required. He's earning (or, if not "earning", at least getting) C's. Suddenly, he's required to work, and he's not used to it or inclined to it.

He is working harder, now. He's not completely getting it, mind you -- he's still a cork on the waves -- but he's learning how to do the work.

I'm not a pushy/pressure/vicarious-success kind of dad. If either of my kids works to their potential, and that potential turns out to be C's, then that's great. God bless 'em....I just want 'em to achieve what they can.

He's lucky that he's hitting the wall now, when there's still time to recover before college. I really don't want him to grow up like me -- I know me, and I wouldn't want to inflict this on anyone.