Inheritance

Inheritance:(noun)
1 a : the act of inheriting property
b : the reception of genetic qualities by transmission from parent to offspring
c : the acquisition of a possession, condition, or trait from past generations

I wish my parents had kept notes. Note to self: Keep notes.

As a parent I am participating in the longest running joke in history. We like to *THINK* we are doing a better job than our parents, learning from their mistakes. In evidence I either must submit that I have no idea what I'm doing or biology has proved me recessive.

Last weekend I took both daughters out fishing for, you guessed it, pike. All were genuinely excited, especially my wife who opted to stay behind and tend to some unread pages in a book.

One hour later we were sitting in the boat, picnic lunch packed, ready for a morning and possibly an afternoon of catch and release, catching 2 more times for the fishing derby in town.

With it being my younger daughters first time on the lake she had expressed fear that I would drive the boat too fast (~10 kn). I'm not sure if it's the speed (fast things scare her), the noise (loud things scare her), or the movement (et al).

I was a good dad and took it slow. The lines were cast and soon enough my older daughter had this nice fish on her line:



As the fish was brought alongside I heard a hissing and a squealing that meant that the zodiac had been punctured or my younger child had another phobia to identify. It then occurred to me that in all the times she had been fishing there had been no fish caught. Her idea of a live fish was a goldfish.

I hauled in the fish and made sure it would not jump, bite, or blink at any of the occupants. I reflected on my parenting to date as my smaller one considered walking on water as a viable alternative to continuing fishing.

I had never shown her my crippling fear of fish. I had forced myself to grab that slimy emblem of writhing death all while choking back the whimpering terror that gripped me. This was her issue. Or one her mother gave her.

We continued to fish until the older one was bored. That took half an hour. I managed to overcome the younger one's fear of the the 'fast' setting on the boat when we had to battle back against an 8 kn wind.

I guess some phobias are inherited. If so that kid won't be able to watch the horror movies "The Black Hole" or "Mr. Boogedy" until she's 15.

Unless she gets those genetics from her Mom.