FURTHER COMMENTS OF PARENTING

                     FURTHER COMMENTS ON PARENTING

     Astutely, one might notice that the tips I have provided for effective parenting can be applied in an even broader sense.  Although I am not a parent myself, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I would do my damnedest to abide by the basic guidelines that I have suggested.  No matter what might occur, I would be an active participant in my child’s life, always wanting to learn more about his or her psychic experiences—likes, dislikes, goals, pursuits.  My focus would be on maintaining good communication, and for that reason those things which might be of importance and interest to my child would necessarily be important and of interest to me—whether it be technology, music, or basket weaving…or some combination thereof…it doesn’t matter in the slightest.  I am not trying to sound pious or self-righteous here (I am above that of course!), but the key virtue, the saving grace, the guardian angel, one must cultivate and foster throughout life is curiosity.  Curiosity is personified by the child—the untainted, non-jaded, wide-eyed child.  The consciously artistic parent, the parent who envisions his or her parental role as an art, is a parent who sees the world through the eyes of a child.  That parent realizes that just as the child remains an aspect of the adult, so the adult is always an aspect of the child.  Without curiosity, one becomes bored; woefully disillusioned, he or she falls prey to the debilitating belief that all of life is meaningless.  That, my friends, is a state of mind worse than any imaginable hell.  Plain and simple, those who are curious are those who care.  I have often wondered how different the world might be if every human being applied my parenting tips (come on now, let’s be real here—these are certainly not my tips!  They belong to us all!  Share the wealth!)  to every other human being with whom they came into contact.  What would the world be like if we could look at ourselves in all situations both as masters and as students—each of as hungry to share knowledge, advice, and ideas as we are to receive them?  What if we were to perceive each acquaintance as our parent or personal mentor, somebody from whom we can learn and grow?  What if we were to perceive that same acquaintance as our own son or daughter, somebody whom we are privileged to guide and direct.  So many barriers we could break, so many walls we could tear down, if only we could consistently stay attuned to the reality that all knowledge is self-knowledge, all communication is self-communication….