That's your child!

You know how parents have a tendency to point out when their child is not theirs? "That's YOUR son/daughter." usually comes into play when a parent believes the child is exhibiting behaviors that could only be the result of the 50% of genetic information that the disclaiming parent did not contribute. A sociologist by training, I question the extent to which we can cite biology as the sole cause of behavioral characteristics. However, I begin to hope that I am wrong.

You see, my partner likes to do everything early. He revels in living ahead of schedule. He finishes his papers days before his own already overly optimistically scheduled completion date. When we go on a driving vacation, he always tries to get me to leave for the trip the night before we planned and to return early as well. When flying, he frequently shows up at the airport hours early and talks his way on to an earlier flight. He finished college early, he entered the academic job market ahead of schedule, etc.

This penchant for precocity (or "jumping the gun" as I refer to it when it causes trouble), is not something I possess. I like to be right on time, perhaps even flying in under the wire. No need to do things early, I say, because circumstances change and the next thing you know you've created more work for yourself. This is frequently the case when it comes to things like packing your bags for a trip or doing your taxes, but I must say that I do benefit from my partner's desire to be ahead of schedule when it comes to work.

So, my doctor has now returned from a week's vacation. I AM READY. Each morning as I pull on one of the 2 pairs of shorts and 5 shirts that fit, as I struggle to bend down and see what is on the lower shelf of the fridge at lunch, as I treat the blisters that my shoes leave on my swollen feet, I think to myself, "Please, kid, be your father's child."