electrolux137
Well-known member
My niece-in-law posted something on Facebook today about her son (and my great-nephew) Bentley. I've mentioned before, and posted photos, about Bentley -- who is a vac-nut!
She wrote, "My son is obsessed with the steam vacuum. Yesterday is was hugging it and saying "happy" over and over! It's the first thing he says in the morning. He is beside himself hysterically crying if he isn't near the vacuum. He's addicted." (See photos.)
My brother, their father and Bentley's grandfather, is very artistically inclined, a world-known concert pianist and music professor. His wife is a concert violinist and professor. His daughter Marie (Bentley's mom) is an opera singer. His son David is a jazz bass player. They are all politically moderate-to-liberal and very affirming of all people. They are all amused by and supportive of Bentley's passion.
Contrast them with my oldest brother, a retired Air Force career-man. He is "all-man," homophobic, racist, and unabashedly ultra right wing conservative. His grandson Ian began showing an interest in vacuum cleaners at about the same time he was diagnosed with childhood leukemia and had to endure all the horrific medical procedures attendant to that disease. While he was sick, his parents indulged his vacuum cleaner fascination and bought him a couple of toy vacs, gave him catalogs and magazines with pictures of vacuum cleaners, and let him go onto the Internet looking for vacuums. When I found out about his attraction to vacuum cleaners I sent him a toy Miele vacuum, a yellow canister model.
Ian pulled through all the leukemia treatments and once he was declared 100% leukemia free out went the vacuum cleaners, at the urging of my brother (Ian's grandfather), who didn't want him to turn into a "sissy." He was instead given "boy's toys" to play with.
Of the two, guess which great-nephew of mine will turn out mentally healthy, emotionally balanced and have a positive attitude toward life? You don't have to have a degree in psychology to figure that one out.
While I have come to the place of "I do not regret the past, nor do I wish to close the door on it," sometimes I do wish my parents and family had been more tolerant of my vacuum cleaner obsession instead of ridiculing me, even punishing me and making me feel ashamed and embarrassed about it. I wonder sometimes just how differently I might have turned out if they had been more tolerant and understanding about things.......
She wrote, "My son is obsessed with the steam vacuum. Yesterday is was hugging it and saying "happy" over and over! It's the first thing he says in the morning. He is beside himself hysterically crying if he isn't near the vacuum. He's addicted." (See photos.)
My brother, their father and Bentley's grandfather, is very artistically inclined, a world-known concert pianist and music professor. His wife is a concert violinist and professor. His daughter Marie (Bentley's mom) is an opera singer. His son David is a jazz bass player. They are all politically moderate-to-liberal and very affirming of all people. They are all amused by and supportive of Bentley's passion.
Contrast them with my oldest brother, a retired Air Force career-man. He is "all-man," homophobic, racist, and unabashedly ultra right wing conservative. His grandson Ian began showing an interest in vacuum cleaners at about the same time he was diagnosed with childhood leukemia and had to endure all the horrific medical procedures attendant to that disease. While he was sick, his parents indulged his vacuum cleaner fascination and bought him a couple of toy vacs, gave him catalogs and magazines with pictures of vacuum cleaners, and let him go onto the Internet looking for vacuums. When I found out about his attraction to vacuum cleaners I sent him a toy Miele vacuum, a yellow canister model.
Ian pulled through all the leukemia treatments and once he was declared 100% leukemia free out went the vacuum cleaners, at the urging of my brother (Ian's grandfather), who didn't want him to turn into a "sissy." He was instead given "boy's toys" to play with.
Of the two, guess which great-nephew of mine will turn out mentally healthy, emotionally balanced and have a positive attitude toward life? You don't have to have a degree in psychology to figure that one out.
While I have come to the place of "I do not regret the past, nor do I wish to close the door on it," sometimes I do wish my parents and family had been more tolerant of my vacuum cleaner obsession instead of ridiculing me, even punishing me and making me feel ashamed and embarrassed about it. I wonder sometimes just how differently I might have turned out if they had been more tolerant and understanding about things.......
