Generational arts

Right after dropping off Noah, late, me and Jonah went over to our little playground by Little Panda and Tufts where I do pull ups and some KF. Then the Dragons class came. From across the street they were shouting, "Mr. Adam! Mr. Adam!" all the way unti they got to the playground. Jonah played with them but eventually I saw it was a little much because the size difference made it dangerous for Jonah.
I was watching all the Dragon kids do the monkey bars. I was so bad at monkey bars when I was a kid. In fact I didn't really do monkey bars until I was much older. I don't recall having a playground that had them around until CSTO built one in the center of the projects. I was so excited when I was able to get across.
These kids go across, here there, hold on for a while.
Anyway it's important. Other things that are important came into my head too. Like Dulcimer, calligraphy, and I suddenly wanted my kids not only to do these things but to do them with me. I feel like they can do better than me because I know a little bit more about these things than my mom did. Except Chinese Painting. My mom was actually really could at that. But we never painted together on the same page. Probably because she wanted to do a real painting and I wanted to do my own type of painting. By the time I got old enough perhaps to paint together, I probably was no longer interested, I would want to paint on my own.
Last night, I went to a scarp book making class where we put together pictures etc. For the last bit of class the kids came up. Noah and Jonah totally took over what we were doing. In terms of what pictures go where etc. So I can see why my mom didn't paint with me. But actually the class talked about how it's important to let the children participate even if it doesn't look "nice".
My mom did a good job raising me. But of course she was a single mother or widowed mother, whatever the term is, so she didn't have as much time. Plus she was older, so she didn't have the energy to go to the playground all the time. And even if she did, they were few and far between back then.
She had me do all these Chinese activities to put me in connection to that side of me. To China even.
But now my kids can be the next generation to do all these same activities, from pretty much the same organizations in Boston. The activities would be more of a connection to Boston and Chinese Culture. It's not just reaching out searching for identity, but repeating what I already did as a kid, and doing it better because of that.
They will do the same Kung Fu, Calligraphy, Music, and of course do whatever new stuff they want to do too. But I have hopes that they will be better because  I will be able to support them a little bit longer to get them to the next level. I mean. When they learn Chinese, I at least know a little Chinese. So I can do storytime chinese homework with them. Instead of them going into the classroom deaf to the language and hoping to come out somehow educated. I can hold a brush, I can do Kung Fu, so they will be able to as well, as if it were something natural instead of groping for a connection to a far away culture and a far away time.
ANyway time to get the dulcimer back out and see if Jonah will play with it.