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Balancing Selfishness and Selflessness
I recall memories from childhood where my parents dragged my siblings and me to a store to buy something inconsequential or uninteresting (at least in our minds).
We didn’t want to be there. We made our opinions known, but it didn’t matter. They couldn’t find a babysitter so we suffered. What do kids do in that situation? They act out, complain and misbehave. Selflessness is a trait young kids lack.
Decades later, we couldn’t find a babysitter. We needed to buy a pendant light for our kitchen. We had to bring the kids along. They didn’t want to be there any more than I wanted to be with my parents decades ago when they shopped for a rug. They acted the same way I did when I was a kid. It irritated me to no end. Now I know what my parents thought of my behavior.
That childhood experience taught me a good lesson. The world does not revolve around me. I hope it taught my kids the same lesson. It didn’t seem to but maybe it was a start.
Regaining Selfishness
I learned the lesson of selflessness as a kid. I forgot it in early adulthood as I lived the life of a single bachelor. I had an apartment all to myself. I had a job that paid my bills. I could come and go as I pleased. I could pick and choose the people I’d spend time with and the activities that interested me.
