Family Man: ‘Just Like Me?’

I am also told that he acts a lot like me. While I’m pleased he has some of my good qualities, seeing him reflect my less desirable behaviors magnifies my inadequacies to an uncomfortable degree.

Few things are worse than hearing my wife ask, “Benjamin, why are you always running late?”

“Well, Daddy’s always late, too,” he says proudly.

At moments like this, I want to take a page out of George Jefferson’s book of wisdom: “Son, don’t do as I do, do as I say!”

Though I’ve conquered many of my bad habits, certain patterns buried deep within my genes rear their ugly heads in my son. And it drives me crazy.

One pattern involves a tendency to sabotage myself when I really want to do something well, like playing music. As a kid, I had an affinity for the piano, but threw away years of lessons because I became increasingly afraid of making mistakes.

Now, I see Benjamin doing the same thing. For two years, he adored his Piano Play classes, showing real talent on the ivories. As the technical challenge has increased, he’s fallen behind his classmates, who diligently do their homework. With heightened frustration, he’s started to avoid doing something he enjoys.

On a recent Monday night practicing at the mini-piano, Benjamin has ants, crickets and ladybugs in his pants. His attention is everywhere but on the sheet music – and he thinks he’s funny.

“If you press this key and this one, it sounds like a Star Wars blaster,” he offers as, remarkably, Imperial Storm Trooper sounds crash through the tiny speakers.