I want to be like Mike

Do you people remember that advertising slogan from Gatorade? It features Michael Jordan with a few kids and the lyrics to a song said that these kids wanted to be like Mike (Michael Jordan).

Well it seems that my daughter is trying not to be like Mike, but is more and more wanting to be like her dad (yours truly).

A few years ago, she said that she wanted to be an engineer when she got older. Of course, I have no problems with this and think that engineering is a great field for a woman to be in.

Then she took up the trombone of all instruments. Take a guess who used to play that instrument when he was young... yep... yours truly again. Again, I have no problems with her playing this instrument.

This past year she started to express an interest in playing football for her school. When we went to the school orientation the athletic director for the school said that football was only for boys, which depressed her a little. But then a glimmer of light shown when the school activities for kids came to our house and it didn't list football as a boys only sport. She still wanted to join and was going to try out. My wife and I had a difficult situation on our hands. In one hand, we didn't want her to get hurt and the reaction from both her fellow girl and boy classmates would have been difficult to handle for her. On the other hand, we didn't want her to be limited by her gender and we've always said to her that she can be anything that she wants to become. So we agreed to let her try out. She never did try out as the day that the tryouts occurred it rained heavily and there was all kinds of mud to play in. So she decided that she didn't want to try out that day.

So her last attempt at being like dad is that she took a fall of her bike (probably doing something she wasn't supposed to do) and broke her collarbone. She is fine now and I am always amazed at how strong she is. In just under a week she is no longer taking any Tylenol and is more an more not wearing her splint.

I am of course flattered that she wants to be like me, but I hope that she does not try to grow a mustache like her dad.