I am blessed with two wonderful children. Becoming a parent is an eye opening experience in many ways. If you are one of those who are trying to raise a family in a country away from the one you grew up in, away from your natural support system and trying to make sure your children are integrated into the society they are growing up in, you are presented with a new set of challenges and opportunities. The challenges come from not being aware of certain customs, social rules, lunches and so on. The opportunities are what have excited me. It is almost like having a second shot at childhood. They are also largely dependent on the interests of your kids.
Musical instruments - if your kids are interested, then learn an instrument with them; board games - I had no idea how much I loved those; biking - I got myself a bike the moment both of them could ride theirs and we can ride around as a family now; books - the books my children expose me to, being an avid reader myself, I wonder how I never read or heard of these books; music - you are never too old to grow your tastes; sports - I have learned the intricacies of new sports that I never cared about in my adult life; dinosaurs, cars and random tidbits of information that only a young and curious mind can notice, gather and remember - the list is endless.
While I wonder at my kids and the information and activities they have at their disposal, I look back at my childhood and how different it was from theirs. One isn't better or worse than the other, but it is impossible not to compare and contrast. While I have been in a writer's funk, I figured a series about our childhood and the things that drove and motivated us would impassion me enough to get out of this funk.
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