What I Did in my Son’s Summer Holidays, chapter 1 －息子の夏休みの思い出 １－

When I was a child, my life was generally directed by various adults round about me.  One adult or another would say, “Put on your shoes,” or, “Finish your vegetables.  People are starving in China!”

I was then expected to put my shoes on, and not to argue that it might be fun to feel the mud through my socks, and not to ask if anyone had been to China recently to check whether the people really were starving there.  Sometimes the directions given by adults seemed a little unreliable or out of date.  Nevertheless, a child isn’t in much of a position to argue for long.  And so I followed the directions.

One such direction that adults gave at regular intervals was to write an essay entitled, “What I Did in my Holidays”.  I was then expected to list various accomplishments or activities which had taken place when the adults at school were not around to direct my behaviour.  I quickly learned that “I sat in my pyjamas all day, playing computer games,” would not get top marks.  “I played board games,” was better.  “I went to the park and played football,” was better still.  And “I went with my family to a museum to learn about dinosaurs,” would have gotten me a gold star.  The adults wanted evidence that we children were spending the holidays doing things, and best of all useful things.

And so I find myself as the father of a seven year old boy, directing his activities during the summer holidays.  His activities no doubt will have to be reported to his teachers when he returns to school, in an essay entitled, “What I Did in my Summer Holidays”.

I feel a certain amount of pressure to provide my son with good copy.  Yet I am still busy teaching English lessons during the day, and my wife is busy working. 

So far, with my help and direction, my son can truthfully write the following:  My father took me to karaoke, and insisted that I clap more loudly when he had finished singing.  My father helped me to write a story called “Sumokles”, about a chubby Japanese hero, inspired by the Greek hero, Herakles.  My father taught me how to make a gimlet, which is a gin and lime cocktail. 

My son cut the lime for the drink you can see in this picture.  He was allowed to smell it, but not taste it. 

There are many more days of summer holiday remaining.  And I am sure many more accomplishments and activities will follow.