No, really. My dad used to ride the F bus to UNC, and several colleagues of his shared his deep interest in music. One day, as a result, a general question was posed: who is the most overrated composer in the classical canon? Various votes were cast, and eventually, if I remember the story correctly, it was Mahler who walked away with the prize.
Which got me thinking: is there an overrated aspect to fathering an infant? Initially, one wants to say no, not at all - precisely because the bar seems to be set so low for American fathers in general. If we show some genuine interest in the child at halftime of the Ravens' first exhibition game, well, then we're doing well. But push further: in reality, there are certain stereotypes that might also be called expectations. For instance, a father is supposed to simply abhor changing diapers (a task that I'd call underrated: it can actually be really fun to clean someone up, kiss their belly, and get them back in the game). But he's supposed to enjoy, on the other hand, the act of passing out cigars to relatives in the hospital. Given that smoking in the hospital premises is now illegal and punishable by fine, you'd probably want to count that as overrated.
Which got me thinking: is there an overrated aspect to fathering an infant? Initially, one wants to say no, not at all - precisely because the bar seems to be set so low for American fathers in general. If we show some genuine interest in the child at halftime of the Ravens' first exhibition game, well, then we're doing well. But push further: in reality, there are certain stereotypes that might also be called expectations. For instance, a father is supposed to simply abhor changing diapers (a task that I'd call underrated: it can actually be really fun to clean someone up, kiss their belly, and get them back in the game). But he's supposed to enjoy, on the other hand, the act of passing out cigars to relatives in the hospital. Given that smoking in the hospital premises is now illegal and punishable by fine, you'd probably want to count that as overrated.
Are there other contenders? Ah, readers of the blog, that's where you can help. The link to the comments page is just below; why not click and add a candidate of your own?
Although my dad has happily watched the value of the Google stock in his portfolio recently rise, he remains wary of giving into the man by opening a gmail account. So I'll post his response:
ReplyDelete"I don't think Mahler was one of the nominees. [Ah, memory. I could have sworn it was Mahler -but of course I wasn't there]. Bruckner certainly was a leading candidate, and a musicologist friend, after careful thought, proposed Rossini. I have come, over the years, to appreciate the wisdom of her thought.
As for fathering, I can't, off the top of my head, think of overrated aspects. There are things that aren't much fun--I see you posted this blog at 4:02 AM--but they are hardly "overrated." I'll give it some
thought, though (another thing bus rides, or waiting for buses, is good for) and let you know if I come up with anything."
And here's a thought on the matter from my mom, a faithful reader and the main caterer of this blog:
ReplyDeleteIn the olden days, I think the father was viewed as the disciplinarian. "Just wait till your father gets home" was a common warning from exasperated mothers in some families, at least, in previous generations. Not a task to savor as one arrives home from work (unless one is a sadist).