Mama Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys

Unless they look really great in those jeans and a hat!

 

This song played over the sound system in Starbucks when I picked up my morning fix.  As I stood and waited, I found myself singing along in my head (Yes, I remember hearing this when I was little but I do not know Free Bird!)

 

Mama don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys
Don't let 'em pick guitars and drive them old trucks
Make 'em be doctors and lawyers and such
Mama don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys
They'll never stay home and they're always alone
Even with someone they love
Cowboys ain't easy to love and they're harder to hold
And they'd rather give you a song then diamonds or gold  (Willie Nelson)

 

If the Diva wanted to be a cow girl, I am not sure I would or could stop her.  This is not what she wants to do.  She wants to be a ballerina, which is a completely different and equally as challenging profession.  But I wonder just how much power parents have over what their children end up doing professionally or for a living?

 

My cousin studied political science.  I am not sure what she really wanted to do professionally, but her dad teased her about studying political science.  To please her dad, she went to law school and spent several years attempting to pass the BAR.  She now has a successful career outside the law; she has never used her degree.  Is this what she would have done without the influence of her dad?   I don't know.  But, she finally found the strength to do something she wanted to do over trying to impress him.  In doing so, he ended up being impressed with her success.  (And we all receive the proud e-mail trumpeting her successes!)

 

I never knew what my parents thought I might do or what they didn't want me to do for a living.  The point was, for both my brother and myself, that we find a means to support ourselves.  I don't think that they ever expected things to turn out exactly as they did... but they can't complain!

 

The Diva wants to dance.  "Ballet is in my heart" she will tell me or "I was born to dance."  My job is to support her dream.  Given all that I have read or heard about the ballet world, I am not sure that this is the life I want for her... but it is the life that she wants for herself right now.  So I steam costumes, dry tears, rub feet, and do all that I can to support her dream. 

 

Just as I would support her other dreams and will support them as they develop. 

 

Most kids her age don't know what they want to be when they grow up.  They have general ideas, but they are not currently engaged in making those ideas a reality.  Around here though, their parents are working hard behind the scenes to ensure dream fulfillment...

 

The kids or the parents dreams, that is the question?

 

One child is being prepped for Harvard with private schools and assorted extra activities.  The little girl is clueless.  She just wants to ride horses and play.  Her mom has ivy aspirations.  I wouldn't be surprised to find that the mom is already making contributions to the school!  But I am sure she isn't the only one.  Parents are planning their children's lives from such an early age.  These mamas aren't going to let their babies be cowboys - it is all about doctors or lawyers or business bigwigs.  These kids have to make the parents look... good!

 

I want to tell these parents to let their kids be cowboys.  Let them dance with butterflies or dream of being famous artists and musicians or even magicians.  Let the dream for them be that they are happy! 

 

(And that they will be able to support themselves and that you won't be supporting them when they are 40!)