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Some old dogs can learn a new trick or two,
of this I am sure.
Take my Dad,
please.
I tried to teach him things for years.
I knew if I said the right things at the right times,
I could change him.
I tried to convey things like the Hindu concept of the meaning of life,
and “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”
And I would try to alter his character deficits with subtle, little hints,
like, one day, I announced to him,
“You’re a liar.”
But instead of transforming him for the better,
the statement seemed only (literally)
to make him lose control of the steering wheel for a moment.
On one visit to Florida to see him and mom,
he said to me,
“You know, I’m really sick of this.
What are all of these deprecatory statements from out of left field
every time you come down to Sarasota? ”
I told him I was just trying to help him grow and change.
Then he said something of deep significance, “I never asked for help.”
I really had to apologize to him.
I’ve tried my best not to do any of that since.
And I decided to try to listen to what he says,
and maybe to actually follow his advice, I guess for the first time in my life.
And, you know, he has a lot of good things to say.
But the best part is, now he’s very agreeable with me.
See, I said I could change him.
Marc Mannheimer
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