Jun 19

Written by:
6/19/2009 

I have two little girls (ages 4 and 2) that have a wonderful sense of humor, curiosity, and compassion.  I take it as a very serious challenge to make sure that they add a sense of responsibility to their list of good qualities and I think that mostly comes from the way I was raised.

I often joke that of all the advice that my dad gave me growing up, I only remembered two things: 1) Keep "it" in your pants and 2) Live within your means.  Both pieces of advice have served me well, but there is plenty more that I took from my time with him and my mother that not only help me live a better, happier life, but that I want to pass on to my girls.

As I was shaving this morning (one of those mundane daily tasks that allows my mind to wander), it occurred to me that, ideally, humankind should evolve into a more refined and productive species if the job is done correctly.  There are certain things in everybody's life that they are continually working on to improve and these things should be (and I hope are) the top priorities when it comes to values being instilled in our children.

As a creative person (so I'm told) I have a certain degree of "devil may care" where things should take shape as they will without the exertion of force by external sources.  You have to answer to the muse, right?  And there is something to be said for that when developing an idea for a promotion or writing a song. 

The crucial point for me is to teach my children to pay attention to their muse, but not lose sight of the realities of life and the responsibilities that come with it.  In other words, follow the muse where she may lead, but leave a trail of pebble behind you so you don't get lost. 

I figure if I can instill this value into them coupled with the things that my parents instilled into me, then from generation to generation, the line of Vonderheides will become stronger and more of a contributor to the betterment of mankind.  Pretty big challenge, huh?

The bigger challenge yet might be for me to figure out how to dictate the gender of my offspring. I need to produce a male to carry on the family name!