Evan Ho shares his views on different dog breeds and raising his son.
I’ve been watching a lot of Border Collie videos recently. In a typical video, this beautiful dog would, upon a short command, race hundreds of yards across an open field to herd a flock of sheep back into their pens. It is satisfying to watch a job well done with such speed and efficiency. This dog breed, by nature, is intensely intelligent, hard-working, and always eager to deploy these qualities productively.
My son is no Border Collie. Of course he has some talents, but I don’t think he’ll ever be like a Border Collie. The videos have got me thinking about what might or might not come naturally to him. It has implications on where he could fit in a future working world that has been thrown wide open to uncertainty. I don’t think I’m alone among parents who fret about the future for their children when it comes to education and work.
In this new age, we all feel some degree of anxiety about the security or stability of working life for the next generation. For now, I will encourage him to explore fields of study and areas of work in which he can potentially thrive.
I’m hoping that he will soon recognize his natural leanings on his own and then develop himself accordingly. Nature is powerful. She will win out – it’s just a matter of time. As of now, though, I see that my son has the friendliness of a Labrador and the sportiness of a Vizsla, and that he likes to hang out with his pack of bro-dogs.