Kids Pages. Discover Gining. Wednesday. January 5, 2000 - North Shore News - 13 All-stars.. GRTH SHORE NEWS COMMUNITY LIFE Parenting through the THE date is Dec. 31, i in the year i B.C. Joseph takes his newborn son out into the moonlight and ponders on the changes a new millenni- ‘um will bring: “Everything's changing for the better son, even if taxes are rising. These last few nights-in the stable have - shown us that tourism is up; it’s impossible to get a room. The good news is that all these folks who are travelling are spending money like crazy. The local economy is boom- _ing. “Think of the opportuni- ties that will lead to for us car- - penters. Demand for housing _ will be up, and with every house comes new furniture. “Of course, I’m not sug- ‘gesting you have to be carpen- ter, heavens no. There’ sa . whole world opening up out there, Just yesterday I heard - that someone sailed across the . Mediterranean in a rew ship, __ using something called a saul, in less than three days, It’s ‘ incredible how fast the rech- nology is | changing and by the _ time you're my age, why, who ‘knows what you'll be able to do. Ifyou put your mind to ‘it, you could really be a some- “Just the same, you have to be carelil. There will be those who will tempt you to drink wine and drive chariots ot ignore the lessons we will teach you. I want you to know, son, thar we'll always be there to help you and you can always feel free to bring up to a dozen of your friends to the house where you'll be safe from the pressures of your peers.” Move forward to Dee. 31, 999 and join Eric the Red around the campfire with his son Leif: “Ic just seems like yester- day we were pillaging England, Leif, and here we are on the edge of a new mil- lenniums. Time sure flies when youre doing something you love. But times are changing son, and fast. Lock at how far we’ve conte in just the fast few years. From the cold and dreary fog of England new technology has brought us to thatched huts with running hot water here in Iceland. Our lives are changing rapidly and who knows how far we'll come in the nexe millennium. “Even more exciting, rumeur has it there’s new land beyond the sea to the west. Can you imagine that?) New lands, new people, new trea- sures to steal. We don’t know what lies ahead of us but if you're flexible and if you keep your wits about you and learn the lessens of your elders, you might gec to do things that we could only imagine a few years ago. “Be careful though. There*s a lot of monsters in the sea and more than a few treacherous cousins who would gladly see you sail off the edge of the earth. Know that your mother and I will always be here for you if you need us, but it’s up to you to seek new opporrunities on every horizon.” It’s Dev. 31, 1999 anda modern father speaks to his son: “It's anew miliennium, son, and ifthere’s one thing you need to understand, it’s that change is the only con- stant in life. With instanta- neous global communication, the world has become a much smaller place and you will have opportunities that my generation only dreamed about. Flashback ‘WINDSOR grads from the class of 1980 are gearing up for a reunion June 16 and 17 in North Van. Members of the grad committee show year book versions of themselves at a meeting. For more infor- mation see the Web site at cr call Yvette Mercier at 444-4673. . “Stay in school and learn everything you can. Look for new ways to do things and new options to pursue. The world is your oyster if you stay flexible and seek out new horizons. “Who knows what is going, to happen in the next 1000 years. Look at how siuch the world has changed in the last 25 years, since the invention of the computer. Life is better than it has ever been and it’s only going to get better. You never know, you may be the one to solve the world’s pollu- tion problems when you get older. “Still, you need to keep a watchful eve. You'll be sur- rounded by influences who will encourage you to make poor decisions about drugs, alcohol, or dropping out of school. “Remember, you can always come to your mom or Land talk to us about things that are bothering you. We can’t solve your problems but we can certainly be there to fisten to them and help you work them out.” Dates on a calendar may change but the basics of par- enting remain the same. through any millennium. NEWS photo Brad Ledwidge Help your children under- stand the changes which sur-° round them, the opportunities which are created by such — changes, the challenges they will face in life, and then offer .them both your vote of confi- dence in their abilities and your support in meeting their challenges. Forty generations from now, on the cusp of the year 3000, Tsuspect much will have changed i in the world, but little will have changed for parents. Have a Happy New Year! Graham Hookev is - the author of Parenting ls A Team Sport.