Thursday, July 17, 2008

A new "Ten Year Plan"

Back in 1992 I was playing a round of golf with "The Groose" and Andrewww. I asked them where they wanted to be in ten years time. I can't remember what they said, but I knew that I wanted to be back in Townsville with a stable life with plenty of family support and perhaps an interest in the family business. When me & K decided to have kids, we had a secret pact to space our children about three years apart and to have a maximum of two boys. Once Z was born, our ten year plan was complete, and ever since, I have been struggling to have a vision of where I want to be in ten years time. The truth is, any ambitions I had as an individual are no longer relevant eg. - to become a great tennis/trumpet player. Ambitions I had vicariously for my children have come up against the barrier of their own free will being at odds with what I believe they *should* wish to strive for. I seem to have lost the steering wheel to my life and I'm just relying on accelerator, break, gears and momentum for any control at all. Any ideas?

6 comments:

Dr Clam said...

innian7I feel much the same way. For many years I had the ambition "Get a real job" - i.e., one that was not a fixed-term contract so I had some fianncial security. Finally got there. Then I had the burning ambition to have children, but I think I am too old to have any more. I finally got up the gumption to say what I thought about things, and now I think I have pretty much said it all. So the world stretches out ahead of me, all fabulously painted in glowing colours, full of marvellous things, but day to day there is not much to pull me out of my comfort zone, and day to day I get grouchier about the irrational behaviour of the people I share it with. So I don't know. We could make it an ambition to renounce ambition and put away worldly striving, since we seem to be getting close anyway?

Marco Parigi said...

I think I am too old to have any more

You are not too old. I have said this before - "What sort of Catholic attitude is that?" Just avoid all contraceptives and let God decide. I will if you will. Lexifab and Nato have just barely started out, for instance. We have combined decades of experience on them. With help from their older siblings, we really have less to worry about regarding our age - and having renounced other worldly ambitions, there really isn't much opportunity we would lose!

Anonymous said...

I am retired but still keeping busy, although not as much as I wished.I am playing with the idea of writing a book (not on science, perhaps on a philosophical topic). So, what about writing a book?

Klaus

Chris Fellows said...

Yes, that is a good idea- you have two quiescent "book blogs" sitting there on the right, Marco. Get a move on!

Can you tell us more about your book-writing plans, Klaus?

Marco Parigi said...

Writing anything longer than a blog comment strikes at the heart of personal ambition vs. other day to day activities. For any ambition to last through past the tedium of the nitty gritty of a book length narrative or practice to become expert in something I am just very good at; for me requires motivation and/or help/advice from other potentially interested people. At least with children as an ambition, me and K really saw eye to eye about how to bring them up and we motivate each other all the time, just instinctively and ahead of other ambitions. If K sees me writing a book (or practicing the trumpet), there is just enough negativity to kill my ambition to get on with it through the tedious bits.

Dr Clam said...

You could help remonstrate with my sister, who is a nitwit...