"Nothing has a stronger influence ... on ... children, than the unlived life of the parent."
-- Carl Jung
Some of us have children too early in life. Invariably, we lay our thwarted dreams and toxic disappointments upon their heads, hoping they will live the life we neglected to live. The rest of us figure, why not have our life first and then have the kids? We soon find, however, that this is not so easy. As the world grows more complex and the possibilities for experiencing things multiply, it becomes ever more difficult to work in enough living before the close of your baby-making years. Eventually, you realize that the only way to beat the clock is to live your life as furiously as possible -- which means starting earlier, moving faster and holding out longer. You've got to crank through travel fantasies, fringe lifestyles, multiple careers, extreme sports and designer drugs, and gorge yourself on liquor and sex as fast and as hard as you can. How else can you expect to get over yourself enough to really be there for your kids when it counts? So the next time you find yourself power partying, remember to ratchet it up another notch, because only when you live your unlived life will your children be free to live theirs.
I binge for my kids.
Reprinted with permission from "Daily Afflictions" by Andrew Boyd, published by W.W. Norton. To order a copy, click here
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