A wealthy man in the making?

I try to see, in my sons, the men they will one day become. I look for underlying attitudes, outlooks, beliefs, habits, and patterns that may persist through time and define the adults they will one day be. It is not something that I do with effort, but something which I do with reflexive automaticity. In gazing on them, today, I gaze, too, on the tomorrow that shall come, one day, in which our eyes are level and they are men.

Fintan, for instance, shows a particular attitude to money that foretells of richer days, for him. Fintan is not a great spender, of money, he is a saver. He gathers together the notes he is given, counts them, accumulates them, and puts them carefully away. He knows his personal wealth, to the dollar - and asks about such matters as whether he can open a local bank account, in Malaysia (he already has one in Singapore). He is not, as most children are, focussed on immediate spending and the transformation of temporary wealth into even more temporary pleasure. No. He thinks of growing his wealth, of becoming richer, by virtue of having more cash to hand. He forestalls spending and chooses instead to wait.

You might wonder why a little boy of seven is concerned with saving money. Well the other day, he gave a peep into his psychology. He mentioned that he wanted to put the money in a bank account so that "When I am bigger I can buy houses and cars..."

That is quite a surprising little plan for a little boy of seven years old. He is already planning for his lifestyle and trying to ensure his own security. He wants to make sure he has his own house to live in and his own car to drive - and he is starting NOW on the work necessary to get him there.

His mother studied him, a few nights ago, as he counted his money...and remarked: "You will be the richest of my sons, Fintan." He didn't look up from his counting, so intent was he on those numbers flashing through his mind.

Indeed, Fintan may be the richest son, one day - for he has the greatest interest in money and the most far sighted outlook towards it.

I am beginning to understand, about Fintan, that he has a very long term vision for his life. Though he is at the beginning of it all, his eyes look not on today, but on a far tomorrow, on a world that is not yet, and plans his place within it. Fintan is a man of tomorrow, living only temporarily as a boy of today. Fintan is already guiding himself through an adult world that is not yet, positioning himself for success within it and developing the attitudes and habits that will allow him to flourish.

I wonder at him, now. Why is he so intent on the future? Why does he not live, entirely, in the moment, as most little boys do? What is it about him that makes him so aware of the unseen parade of his life ahead of him?

As ever, I get the sense that Fintan may turn out to be a very surprising son, indeed. No boy who thinks so much of the man he is one day to be, can fail, at the very least, to lead an interesting life, in some way.

I look forward to whoever Fintan becomes and hope that I am around, to see it.

In the meantime, Fintan, keep on gazing on tomorrow!


(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 6 and Tiarnan, 4, this month, please go to:
http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

I also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at: http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/
Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/
Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

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