Little Ru on Risks and Expectations

It seems like risk-taking is an important part of people’s lives. It could even be part of one’s personality. For example, some people like taking risks while others don’t. I would say that my friend Timur (the cat) is a risk-avoider. He tries to avoid me all the time and I have to chase him all over the yard. He thinks that I am a risk.

I was very surprised to find out that there are whole nations of risk takers and risk avoiders. The people who live in my country are not keen on taking risks. Just the opposite to them, the Swedish for example kind of like the uncertainty that follows risk-taking. If you would like to know about your nation, you can check it out here.

To be honest with you, I am not sure what risks are yet. I guess I am too young to know if something is risky. I just do things. Sometimes, in the middle of a game, Mommy says to me “No-no”. So, I figured out that I need to say “No-no” when I do certain things. Like throwing my toys through the balcony. Yesterday, I threw the lemon squeezer and I said “No-no”. I am a quick learner!

Maybe when you take risks you learn?

Three days ago Mommy took me to an expedition in the small forest nearby. We were looking for mushrooms and she was considering the risk of taking some home. She told me that she knew that these mushrooms are safe to eat because they don’t have a poisonous double here. However, in the end, she just sighed and said that she cannot take them home because after having me she is not that risk-taker anymore. Not that she was ever a huge risk-taker. But she liked to pick penny buns once.

This is an old penny bun, which Mommy found in the forest some years ago. When she was braver and more stupid.

I guess this is something that is important when you are up to take a risk. You should never be stupid. Risk-taking doesn’t equal being stupid. I suppose that according to Mommy picking mushrooms when you have a child to take care of is a stupid thing and an unnecessary risk-taking.

Mommy and Daddy back in their glory days of being simply stupid. These must be their beloved mountains.

Although Mommy avoided being stupid about the mushrooms, she took a risk when she didn’t apply any insect repellant on me. So, I was bitten by a tick. I guess going to the forest was a risk after all.

And here is another thing. I wouldn’t say that I am particularly a forest-fan. Actually, I don’t care if I am in the forest, or at the beach, or in the yard, as long as there are sticks around. Usually, I find good sticks everywhere. But Mommy and Daddy take me to the forest too often because they like it and they hope that I am going to like it. And this is how parents put expectations on their children.

Another forest. And another stick. It's not the best, but it should work.

They also like the mountains. But I don’t know what are mountains yet. So, they bought me a special mountain T-shirt. Actually, they want me so badly to like forests and mountains that they bought three identical T-shirts with mountains on them. Now we have the same T-shirts! Tell me, isn’t that lame?

This is the lame T-shirt I was telling you about. They both have it, too.

I didn’t care much about the tick but unfortunately, it led to Mommy and Daddy calling my Pediatrician. And then taking me to her. I don’t like going there at all. I cried just to be sure that I will scare her away. But she seemed to be immune to my crying. She has too many children crying over there and she is used to it. I should think of another way of escaping her. Like not going to the forest anymore?

I like all kind of places. Like the washing machine. But my pediatrician office. No!

Maybe Mommy shouldn’t have taken me to the forest and this was an unnecessary risk. However, this means that they shouldn’t take me to the beach because a wasp stung me last summer. And the yard is not much safer. How am I supposed to chase my friend Timur The Cat if I am not allowed to go to the yard?

Here is one of the mushrooms Mommy and I found. My little friend is exploring it.

Nooo! You can’t live properly if you try to avoid risks at any cost. And you shouldn’t be stupid when you take risks.

I don't know what Mommy finds about these mushrooms. My sticks are so much prettier!

So what now? Am I a risk-taker? I don’t know, I am still not sure what risks are yet. Sometimes I cry when I do some things, sometimes I laugh… I guess risks make you cry sometimes or make you happy and you are never sure what is going to be this time. But you hope for the best. What else could you do?

Images: My archive. Use only with permission.