In Chicago Steinbeck tells us that he met up with his wife Elaine, and because that meeting departed from the primary narrative of his heroic quest to discover America, he left it out. I could do the same about the meeting with my children in Los Angeles, but will not. They, too, are Americans, and in my personal quest remain central, even as my influence in their lives naturally decreases. These are adult children and people I like as well as love. My quest for all that is good in Americans might begin and end there. I am proud of them. They make me seem a better parent than I was.
So, in Los Angeles we met up with my children when we ate at the HMS Bounty Pub and Grill. My son is a regular. He meets his friends there after work. Because he is a lawyer, “after work” is for him often nine p.m. He works hard. He works long hours. He is stereotypically American in that regard. He loves the challenges of his work. He’s passionate about his profession. In that way, perhaps, he is less stereotypical. We say we are individuals pursuing our passions, but do we? I think he does. But he has many passions: law, music, writing, politics, and pursues them all. I think Americans are less inclined to pursue their various passions, that we limit ourselves to one specialized thing. We encourage our students and children to do a single thing and to choose that career at 16, 17, 18 . . . as though we cannot (and do not) change our minds and directions often throughout our lives. Why do we tell our children that lie?
Meeting my son in L.A. was a brief treat for me on the way to our hotel in southern California. My daughter served as our tour guide the following day as we explored Los Angeles. More on that anon . . .
~ Margaret Downs-Gamble
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