So let me tell you about the shittiest parent on the motherfucking planet.
I work at a grocery store and this man comes in with his 11 year old son. He buys a pack a cigarettes and a two cases of beer. The son was holding a two dollar drawing pad and placed it on the belt and I guess the dad didn’t notice it at first but when I was about to scan the pad he asked where’d it have come from and turned towards the kid and asked “Did you put that shit up there?”. He told me to put it back and then told his 11 year old child that he “ain’t paying for that gay ass notebook.”. So I looked at the kid, who was close to tears and saying how he ran out of paper at home and my heart broke. So I gave the pad to him, for free, and told the dad I would take care of it. I gave the kid some tokens for a game outside and said I would look forward to buying some of his drawings and paintings when he’s all famous. He kids face was so priceless and I thought everything was good. But then, about 10 ten minutes after giving the kid his notebook, I walked outside and saw this. The drawing pad all ripped up and tossed on the pavement. I could only imagine what happened in the parking lot, but I know that that poor kid heart is fucking ripped apart, just like this pad.
I’m fucking horrified that there are parents like this, who, just because it’s not masculine or gender specificthey won’t let their children follow their true passions or explore interests that lead to their happiness. Even more so, I’m horrified that parents don’t care about the fine arts anymore because it doesn’t have job security. Since when did it ever matter to a child if their passion makes them money or not? Parenting is about supporting whatever makes your child happy. Have some fucking consideration for your child’s wants not your homophobic and anti-art ideals.
…exuse me while I’m just speechless in rage..
one of the most disgusting things ive seen
That was one of the most awful things I’ve read
I never add anything to posts but this one, this strikes me to fucking home and back.
Everyone who follows me knows, my passion is art, I love it, I paint and draw and test new things and I doodle everywhere I go. I couldn’t imagine a world where I couldn’t draw, its so deeply ingrained, I’m going to art school, for pete’s sake.
But this. This poor kid reminds me of myself when I was younger, and even today. When I was in first grade, I loved drawing, I was only 6 and it was great and no one paid attention. By third or fourth grade, it was obvious that I liked art. Come middle school, I was drawing regularly…. in lined notebooks. My mom was vehemently opposed to my art/drawing and refused to buy plain paper, I had to buy lined notebooks at my school store. Sometimes my grandparents and aunts and uncles bought me stuff to use, but I burned through it all really quick (one notebook lasts about two months in my hands).
And my art, it was in the art show at my school. My mom went just like every other parent, didn’t seem to pay mind to how proud I was. Nodded and smiled and oh look, look at what the high school girls did and she wandered away from my little collection on my wall and I was heartbroken. This continued - CONTINUES - even to today. I had an art show, just last week, my last one with my high school. I had an entire exhibit wall to myself, I filled up every inch of that bad boy. I drew designs for our class T-shirts, I made covers to books and magazines the school printed, I made an entire goddamn mural for the high school library and for the church across the street and I’m about to start mural number 3 and recently my art teacher sent out my portfolio to be in different art shows across the state and I recieved my Honorable Mention in comic art from the Boston Globe Art & Writing Show.
I have achievements, I love my art. Other people love my art. I’m still learning but it’s clearly my passion, I’m committed to the Art Institute of Boston.
And you know what? My mom’s missed out on most showings, has never bought me anything I can use - you know, I’ll tell her, “I need more arcrylic paint and some canvases, any will do”. She’ll bring back watercolors that she bought for 10 cents at some market and construction paper. She knows what I ask for.
So I stopped asking. Everything I’ve ever drawn, traditional or digital - I’ve payed for my tablet, my notebook, my paints, my pencils, my canvas and paper. And I realize this 11 year old boy is not as independent as I am, and he’s a boy and has the standard set upon him that art is for girls and clearly - clearly his father is aggressive. But this, this poor kid, he needs to embrace his artistic side and it makes me absolutely fucking SICK when this is ignored in anybody, ESPECIALLY parents. If I could, I would fucking sit down with this kid and give him half my supplies and tell his fucking dad off.
I know what its like to have a parent that despises your life career choice and your ambition/passion, it’s not fun. I feel for this kid and I get so fucking mad when people whine that being in the arts isn’t a real career. Fight me.
We usually maintain our bad habits because we surrender to our highly-adaptive, lazy self.
