A text message from my newly minted 11-year-old: “Can we go to a Maroon 5 concert in Manila?” Uh, was I really supposed to answer in the affirmative?
One problem is that I know she was serious. While she might not have thought through the fact that Manila is a plane ride away and significantly adds to the price of a concert ticket, she simply figures that as long as we’re in Asia, why not take advantage of these adventures. My bigger concern — does she feel so entitled that this wasn’t a big deal to request?
Over the summer we were talking about holiday plans with friends. They were curious to know where we go on vacation, and I started to name possibilities coming up – someplace warm and beautiful, like Bali or Thailand. One friend said to another, “She mentions these like it’s a trip to Florida.” I quickly clammed up in silence, realizing that it sounded quite boastful to have such lavish sounding vacations, when in reality it’s much more economical and sensible for us than, say, a trip to Florida.
I treasure the exotic locales that living here affords us to see. And I do hope that I can help expose my daughters to different cultures and make them more curious about the world in the process.
But Manila for a concert, at the request of my pre-teen? I don’t think so…
Photo by Agazzy of flickr.
