by eric olthwaite » Fri Feb 10, 2012 8:41 pm
Whilst this thread is doing the rounds, another vignette from family life:
Daughter's coming up to GCSEs. Art's her thang, mainly, and that's what she's focussing on as she plans to toddle off to sixth form college. Now, she's been coming down with flu and feeling shite latter end of this week, and she'd finished a painting, obviously feeling like crap and rushing it a bit, and it was a fair bit below what she can normally produce.
So the conversation starts, mid-day:
"Dad, could you drop my painting off at school this afternoon for marking?"
OK, I'm thinking, keep it chilled and diplomatic:
"Well, I was sort of wondering if you were thinking about doing some more on it over the weekend, seeing as you'd not been well."
"No, it's finished"
Oh, God, off we go.
"Well, I wondered if you might have rushed it a bit because you weren't feeling good"
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?? I SPENT HOURS ON IT. YOU ALWAYS SAY EVERYTHING I DO IS RUBBISH!"
"Oh that's not really true is it? I said that other drawing was great. I always tell you how good your work is."
Too late.
"YOU'RE ALWAYS CRITICISING ME. I THINK IT'S THE BEST THING I CAN DO. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU ONLY EVER HAVE A GO AT ME"
"I don't really, do I? I'm not having a go; I'm just trying to help. Look, you chose the College and the course you want, and you know what grades you need. I'm just here to help because I'd like to see you get into the College you want."
"WELL YOU'RE NOT HELPING. YOU JUST MAKE ME FEEL STUPID"
"So, what, are you saying that you'd rather I told you that all your work was brilliant, even when I didn't really think that?"
And here's the killer line, as she slams the door and storms upstairs:
"YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO TALK TO ME"
And there, ladies and gentlemen, sits the youth of today in a nutshell. The error is entirely mine, as I am wholly unable to offer constructive criticism in a manner deemed acceptable to m'lady.
Back in the day, when I went off to Uni, pinned my work up in front of a room full of 40 of my peers, and got utterly fucking shredded by tutors, I considered it a valuable learning curve.
Can't help but suspect that this generation mightn't think the same.