The difference between then and now.

Today as I drove home from Jakes soccer game we had our interesting conversation. We talk about the freeway being messed up, what was Las Vegas like when I was a kid, etc...
Halfway home I asked him what he wanted to do when he grew up. I want to be a professional soccer player, was his response. I flashed back to when Jeff was slightly younger than Jake is now and I had asked him the same question. Jeff told me that he wanted to be a professional basketball player. Being new to the whole Dad thing, I began my lecture on how hard it would be to play basketball, what it would require, how few people actually ever are good enough to make it. I told him that he would be better off going to college and getting his degree to get a real job instead of pursuing an unrealistic goal for a white kid that doesn't come from a geneticly tall family. For years I regretted telling him that. I think that all kids should have dreams, and in my attempt to be the realistic Dad, I felt like I had crushed his. Why not let them dream, if they want to be a profesional basketball player, scuba diver, or pogo stick hopper, let them dream it. I wish I could go back to that day and answer him differently.
Today I felt like I kind of had that chance. When Jake responded that he wanted to be a pro Soccer Player, he also asked "what should my backup plan be?" I thought about it for a minute, and we talked. I told him that if he wanted to be a soccer player then he is on the right road. Right now he should have fun and practice hard. Plan B would be to get on the high school team, and then go to college and play. As we talked I told him that if he played at the college level, he could also get a degree and that would be awesome. Once he graduates from college then he can decide if he wants to still play, or he could do whatever he wants because he will have both options. I know that whatever his decision is, he is lucky to know early on what he wants. I know that he will grow up and who knows what he will ultimately do. I hope that if sports are his future, that I can at least get discounts to his games, pro sporting events are too expensive.
The important thing is that after that day with Jeff I have never wanted to be a dream killer. The kids are doing just fine deciding what they want to do, and when the time comes they know that they can come to Mom and Dad for advice. In the meantime. watch out David Beckam, Jake Mecham is coming after you.