The most important people in the world.

Ainan, 10, is a boy with his own particular world view. It is a view formed, partially, out of his naturally unique perspective on it.

A couple of days ago, I was talking to him about a particular newspaper that shall remain nameless, lest they be offended.

I mentioned: "A typical reader of this newspaper is a multimillionaire."

He looked distinctly unimpressed, as if the term meant nothing to him at all.

"But they are not important.", he observed, as if I had spoken of something very trivial indeed.

"They have influence...", I pointed out.

"Yes, they have influence", he conceded it and signalled that the concession meant nothing, "but they use that influence to make things better for themselves - so they are not important."

Ah. He saw the rich as selfish and self-interested, and not as benevolent nurturers of society. Of course, of the two images, the first is much truer to the world...

"Who is important then?", I enquired without provocative challenge.

He looked up at me, then, his eyes all serious, perhaps to teach his father a little about the world, as he saw it.

"Presidents...", he began, a choice of person which surprised me. Perhaps I let my surprise show a little, for he continued, a little more emphatically, "Who bring in good laws."

So, Ainan thought it important to improve society for all, it seemed. This is a clue, to my mind, for what he, himself, might choose to do: something which might better the many, over the few.

"Who else?"

The word was not long in coming: "Researchers...", he declared, as if nothing could be more obvious, "Scientists", he clarified, for there are many types of researcher in the world.

So, he saw two types of people as important: those who created a better world, in which to live - and those who created something for the world (which may have the same effect). So, what he values in people, is that they should be seeking to create a better world.

I find this exchange hopeful for how Ainan might choose to live his life. I feel, now, on hearing this, that he will choose something with a postive effect on the world. I think he will deliberately seek out work and projects that change things for the better. At least, that is the underlying philosophy that he is now espousing.

Will Ainan one day be a President, too? Will that be one way he seeks to change the world for the better? If so, of which country would he be President? By birth, he can seek the citizenship of three countries...so he has choices, in that department.

Perhaps Ainan will become what Einstein chose not to be: a scientist who becomes a political figure in middle and old age. Perhaps he will contribute both creatively to the world, and to society, too. I only wonder this because of the two types of people that he has identified as important: the scientist and the political leader - will he one day be both?

We shall see. In the meantime, it is heartening that Ainan is approaching the world with a strong set of internal values about what is important and what is not; who is worthy and who isn't.

I find myself agreeing with him - and that can't be a bad thing. It must be remembered, of course, that I have never discussed this before with him and the views he has expressed are his own and his own alone. I would never distort his expressed self or interpose myself between him and the world: I want him to show himself as he is, truly and clearly - for only then can he fully become, in the world, what he should be.

I look forward to the day that Ainan becomes what he is destined, by inner forces, to be. I have to wonder, though, quite what that will be, since his values embody more than one choice. For now, however, he is a scientist and becoming more so everyday. I wait, in anticipatory patience.

(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.htmlI 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.

You can get my blog on your Kindle, for easy reading, wherever you are, by going to: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/B0042P5LEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284603792&sr=8-1

Please let all your fellow Kindlers know about my blog availability - and if you know my blog well enough, please be so kind as to write a thoughtful review of what you like about it. Thanks.

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/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

The death of a mentor.

Ainan's only real mentor, in Singapore, Dr. Ng Kok Chin, has passed away. I had not expected to write such words, so soon, but the fact is, Dr. Ng Kok Chin never recovered from the illness which struck him down in December 2008. He had spent the almost two years since then, in a coma and never awoke to the world, again, after a brain operation that did not go as well as had been hoped.

I have written before of our gratitude to Dr. Ng Kok Chin, in my post, "A word of gratitude". That post now stands as a testament to the great character of the man. If you wish to know more of Dr. Ng Kok Chin, read how I described him in that post.

Here I will say this: Dr. Ng Kok Chin was a greater support to us, in educating Ainan, than anyone else we ever met, in Singapore. He stood up for us, when others wouldn't. He advised us, when others couldn't be bothered. He fought for us, when all others lay around either doing nothing, or trying their best to be obstructive. He was a man of good character who really wanted to help Ainan become what he could be. To see him gone is tragic really, especially since he was not an old man. I don't know his age exactly, but apart from his grey hair, he did not look all that old. He still had many years left in him, if the world were a just place.

Dr. Ng Kok Chin was the orchestrator and organizer of Ainan's education at Singapore Polytechnic. When he fell into a coma, so too did Singapore Polytechnic: they stopped being supportive the moment Dr. Ng Kok Chin was out of the way. So, it was made most clear to us that it was he and he alone who supported Ainan's presence at Singapore Polytechnic and not anyone else there.

Dr. Ng Kok Chin believed in Ainan and championed him. We are grateful for that and will always remember his warm, gentle ways.

I wish he had been able to see what Ainan is becoming - but he never did and never shall. He would, I feel, have been pleased to know that his intervention was leading to greater things, for Ainan.

I have one sad memory of Dr. Ng Kok Chin that I feel I should relate. On one of the last occasions I ever saw him - perhaps the last, in fact - he spoke of how thankful he was that he held a job as an academic at Singapore Polytechnic. He was thankful because his job was secure, even in tough times. So, he told me, he did not have the fear of recession that many workers have. He knew that his job would always be there for him. He knew that he would be safe from retrenchment.

It is sad that, at the virtual end of his conscious life - for shortly thereafter he had the brain operation from which he never recovered - all he was thinking about was the security of his job and how that nothing would take it away from him. Little did he know, that something would not take the job away from him - but him away from the job. He had but days of consciousness at that time. Then he was gone, never more to know the world.

The memory is a sad one, for he was clearly planning for a future that was never to be. He was thinking of his job security in the years ahead and of how his particular kind of appointment would allow him to weather it. He had, it seems, no inkling that his conscious world was almost at an end and that his life, for all reasonable definitions of life, was soon to be ended - indeed, only days later, it was.

Whatever plans he might have had, that now will not ever be, I am committed to making one plan come true - for my own reasons, it is true, but he might be pleased to know it, too. Dr. Ng Kok Chin clearly planned to aid Ainan to his greatest fulfilment. He clearly planned to help him in whatever way he could. He wanted to see Ainan reach his potential. Well, I plan, at least, to do my best to ensure that that happens. Perhaps, I feel, that would have pleased Dr. Ng Kok Chin - for he could not have been more involved in helping Ainan along the way, than he was.

Thank you, Dr Ng Kok Chin for all that you did to help Ainan. We shall ever be grateful.

Rest in peace, my friend - for more than a mentor to my son, I considered him a friend, by the end. Thank you and goodnight.

(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.htmlI 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.

You can get my blog on your Kindle, for easy reading, wherever you are, by going to: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/B0042P5LEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284603792&sr=8-1

Please let all your fellow Kindlers know about my blog availability - and if you know my blog well enough, please be so kind as to write a thoughtful review of what you like about it. Thanks.

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/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

Pregnant white women and the muggers of Malaysia.

I have observed that pregnant white women are much in demand among the muggers of Malaysia. We don't know that many people, really, but two of our friends, who happen to be pregnant white women, have been mugged in Malaysia. Interestingly, I can't recall any of our non pregnant, or non white women, in our acquaintance, being mugged.

The first incident happened some months ago, when a pregnant Irish woman, was walking down a street in Kuala Lumpur with her handbag slung over her shoulder. Suddenly, she was thrown to the ground, when a passing motorcyclist grabbed her bag and dragged her along the ground. She held onto it, bravely, but was dragged quite a few metres, before her attacker gave up. She was quite a few months pregnant at the time and was left with scraped flesh all down one side of her body.

The second incident happened in the Gardens shopping centre - a very chic shopping mall - in Kuala Lumpur. This was not a violent incident, indeed, the victim, a Russian white woman, did not even know it had happened until later. Basically, someone pick pocketed all the cash from her bag. She is heavily and obviously pregnant - late stages.

To my mind, these incidents show an incredible degree of callousness. The women concerned are both pregnant and visibly so. One was targeted in a manner which has been known to kill victims (they are dragged to their deaths). The other was robbed of all her money. What on Earth could lead their attackers to think that this was a reasonable thing to do? Where has their humanity gone?

The question here, is: are Malaysia's muggers specifically singling out pregnant women as victims because they are likely to be less mobile and less able to fight back? Or are they targetting white women because they believe them to be rich (not always true)? If the former, then I can only say this: much more needs to be done to stamp out these vile criminals. I feel that too little is being done to control them.

Why is this type of crime so common in Malaysia? Aren't the criminals very easy to identify? (They tend to ride motorbikes...so why not just stop ALL young men on motorbikes and investigate them for signs of criminality.)

When a pregnant woman, traditionally regarded as worthy of much heightened care and attention by societies all around the world, becomes victim to snatch thieves, who endanger her life and the life of her unborn, then assuredly, that is the mark of a society perilously close to barbarism.

I do not know what the punishment for snatch thieves is, in Malaysia - but whatever it is, it needs to be harshened, considerably. Also, there should be random checks of all young men who ride motorbikes. Should there be any signs that they are engaged in criminal activities, they should receive long, mandatory jail sentences, without delay.

It is at times like this that the merits of Syariah law seem to have some appeal. It is very difficult, after all, to pursue a career as a snatch thief, if you have no hands. Also riding a motorbike is a little tricky, too. Whatever one might think of ancient Islamic law, I feel it would have done a better job, with the muggers of Malaysia, than modern law enforcement is doing, presently. The response of the police is simply not effective.

I recall one case, here, in Malaysia, in which a crowd who saw a snatch thief at work, caught up with him - and beat him to death. I don't believe that anyone was charged. However, the case does show the degree of public anger towards snatch thieves who have, quite frequently, killed or maimed their victims. The authorities in Malaysia should listen to that public anger and crack down on these obscene young men, who think that a pregnant white woman is a reasonable choice of victim. How horrible.

Consider this, too: many a woman has lost a child, through miscarriage, owing to a sudden shock. Thus, in snatching a pregnant woman's bag, they put the life of the child at risk, even if the woman comes to no harm (unlikely as our friend could attest).

In short, the attackers of our pregnant friend, should be charged not with theft, or attempted theft - but with attempted murder, on two counts - for their actions imperil the lives of those they attack. If the standard charge for snatch theft was raised to attempted murder, to reflect the risks to their victims, perhaps this crime would abate.

My advice to any pregnant woman on the streets of Malaysia is not to carry a bag at all. Then you won't be a victim. This seems to be a sad necessity given the proportion of our friends who have been mugged in this fashion.

Be safe, everyone.

(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.htmlI 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.

You can get my blog on your Kindle, for easy reading, wherever you are, by going to: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/B0042P5LEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284603792&sr=8-1

Please let all your fellow Kindlers know about my blog availability - and if you know my blog well enough, please be so kind as to write a thoughtful review of what you like about it. Thanks.

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/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

A memory for old age.

Today, I saw something which I rather feel, I shall always remember. To some, it might seem like a little thing, but to me, it is an iconic image.

I was coming home, after having been out, about my day, when I noticed something on the gate, to our house. It is a wide, black gate, made of old, much put upon wood. At the touch of a switch, it parts to let cars or people alike, through. However, the surface of the gate has a patina of dust, clinging to it, partially because of the nature of the paint on it.

Now, there is nothing remarkable about dust on a gate, but to me, there was something remarkable on that gate. All over the surface, little fingers had traced pictures, in the dust. They were pictures of happy, smiling people, joyously at play. I imagined, as I saw them, Tiarnan's and Fintan's fingers, drawing in the dust, expressing what was in their hearts and minds. It is clear, there is much happiness there - but also a desire to express it. They had drawn spontaneously on what their world offered them: a dusty gate.

I wished, in that moment, for a camera, but we have none that is working today (we have lost the charger). I hope, therefore, that the rain, which began moments after I saw the images, doesn't wash them away. I would like a photo of that indelible memory, so that I can show others, what I saw that day and explain to them, what it means to me. On that gate, I saw my children's childhood laid out before me. It was a sweet one, filled with innocent happiness. It made me smile, so, to see what they had done. I knew, in that moment, that I would remember that gate and its traced happiness. I knew that that gate would be forever with me, because it captured the essence of my children, as they are now, at the beginning of their lives.

I only hope I can photograph it, before it is gone.

Thank you Tiarnan (four) and Fintan (seven) for showing me what is in your hearts. I am happy to see it so.

I will remember that drawing of theirs upon the gate: the question is - will they remember it too? Will it become a memory of their childhoods...or will it be lost, for ever, as just one more day, in this eternal summer we live, near the Equator?

I hope to ask them one day, and to remind them of their tracings on the gate, in its obliging dust.

(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.htmlI 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.

You can get my blog on your Kindle, for easy reading, wherever you are, by going to: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/B0042P5LEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284603792&sr=8-1

Please let all your fellow Kindlers know about my blog availability - and if you know my blog well enough, please be so kind as to write a thoughtful review of what you like about it. Thanks.

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/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

A fiercely independent boy.

A couple of days ago, I asked Tiarnan, my four year old son, an unexpected question:

"Tiarnan, will you have nanobots in your blood, when you are older?"

His eyes evaluated me, as if considering the meaning of what I had said and having a fair idea, but not absolutely certain.

"Nanites", I translated, into a term he knew from a computer game based on Marvel superheroes.

"No!", he said, shaking his head, firmly.

That surprised me, in a way. What followed was even more surprising.

"I want to be Dead Pool...because he has no team."

How interesting...here was my four year old, declaring himself to be an individualist who doesn't want to work in a team. I understood then, why he didn't want "nanites" in his body - because in the Marvel game, all the nanite infected people work together in a giant team. They are not individuals, as such. Tiarnan doesn't want to get lost in a group, he wants to be himself and himself alone.

I think it somewhat unusual for such a young boy to so fiercely declare his independence. It seems to me, that when this is allied with knowledge of what he likes to do - often artistic pursuits, such as drawing, and acting, that here we have an artist of some sort, in the making. He will certainly be an individualist whatever he does become, one day.

Perhaps he will read this entry one day, and have his memory jogged of the day he declared his independence and individuality so clearly. I hope so.

Be what you can and be what you must, Tiarnan - and especially if that means being true to yourself.

(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.htmlI 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.

You can get my blog on your Kindle, for easy reading, wherever you are, by going to: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/B0042P5LEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284603792&sr=8-1

Please let all your fellow Kindlers know about my blog availability - and if you know my blog well enough, please be so kind as to write a thoughtful review of what you like about it. Thanks.

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/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

Pete Hammond, Box Office Magazine.

Pete Hammond, of Box Office Magazine, is famous in Malaysia. However, he shouldn't be, for he is famous for all the wrong reasons. Here, they call him, "Peter Hammond", generally - and I know his name, because his name is frequently emblazoned on the covers of DVDs in video stores, here, in Kuala Lumpur.

Now, I realize I shall have to explain myself. I had never heard of "Peter Hammond" before, or Pete Hammond as he prefers to be known. However, I often visit video stores in Malaysia and there, his name is impossible to overlook: he is quoted EVERYWHERE. I would say, without doubt, that he is the single most frequently quoted "critic" on Malaysian distributed films. I say "critic" because I have reason to doubt the worth of his reviews.

It is one's normal expectation that the best of anything, becomes the most famous example of it. This does not apply, however, to film criticism. With film critics, the one who praises most, is raised highest, for they are quoted most often. So, to become "famous" as a film critic, all you have to do is to say nice things, about awful films. Your quote will then stand out amongst all available possible quotes and therefore be chosen to market the film in question, being emblazoned across posters, and DVD jackets everywhere. That, of course, is what Pete Hammond seems to be doing.

You see, I have, I confess, been fooled by Pete Hammond at least once. I have actually bought a film, on his recommendation, because the DVD cover had the single word "Masterpiece", printed across it, in large, unmissable, eye punching letters. So, I bought it, watched it, and regretted it. The film in question was far from being a "masterpiece". It wasn't bad, but the expectation he had set up, that it would be a "masterpiece" made an average film seem worse. Thus, Pete Hammond is doing each film he so describes a disservice, by describing them in such glowing terms. People will watch the films based on his recommendation - and will dislike them all the more for being not as good as he describes them. Thus, the word of mouth, for these films, will be harmed, by his description. I am not sure that, ultimately, they will end up with more or less viewers by being so overly praised: more will buy the film in the stores on seeing it, who haven't heard about it - but then again more people will hear disappointing tales of it, from the people they know. Thus it is that such false descriptions may not be as beneficial to a film as the distributors think.

I noticed the word "Masterpiece" by Peter Hammond (they use his full name), for a reason: I have seen it repeatedly used, on many different films. Indeed, it is the only quote of Pete Hammond that I have seen. Every film he reviews, or gets quoted for, anyway, is described as a "Masterpiece". I don't know about you, but I always that true "masterpieces" were rare works indeed. However, according to "Peter Hammond", Malaysian video stores are filled with great Western masterpieces. Every glance around the shop brings at least one such masterpiece into view.

Anyway, I have learnt my lesson. I understand, now, what Pete Hammond is all about. Pete Hammond just wants to be famous - and he has, in his reviews, found the perfect way: just make sure he says something more quotable than any other critic could bear to bring themselves to utter. Thus, he seems to set out to include, somewhere in his reviews, an eminently quotable phrase or two - and preferably the word "masterpiece".

Now, when I see that Pete Hammond has been quoted on a film jacket in Malaysia as saying "Masterpiece", I know what it means. It means that no more famous a critic actually used the word "masterpiece" - otherwise they would have been quoted instead. It means that no-one said it was a masterpiece, except Pete Hammond himself. Thus, on seeing Pete Hammond's name on a DVD jacket, I do something, perhaps unexpected now: I put the film back down and I don't buy it. I refuse to buy anything with Pete Hammond's name on it. I refuse to do so, because I have learnt that the quote is meaningless and that it bears no relation to the true quality of the film in question. Indeed, if Pete Hammond is quoted at all, it tells me that no-one else said anything near as good about it - which means that it is probably crap. Thus, for me, Pete Hammond's endorsement, is a sure sign of a crap film.

So, I would like to thank Pete Hammond for being a trustworthy guide to a film's quality. Pete Hammond has become, for me, an inverse guide to a film's merits. The higher Pete Hammond's praise, the worse the film will probably turn out to be. Thus, Pete Hammond's name is a marker, for me, of films to avoid. He has done me a great service, therefore, and I am grateful for him, for the dedicated way he singles out rubbish films for my focussed inattention.

Nevertheless, Pete Hammond has achieved his blatant goal. He has become famous, at least in Malaysia. Although, here, they insist on what they think his full name must be and call him "Peter Hammond", who may not actually exist. However, it does seem to me that Peter Hammond's variety of fame, might have a drawback. Eventually, when enough people have bought a "masterpiece" and found it wanting, Peter Hammond might actually become famous for being, well, let's put it politely, undiscerning. Others might just say he is full of s***. Either way, they won't be impressed with Peter Hammond (or Pete Hammond, for that matter). His fame, won't come with any respect. The question is: does he just want to be known, much as Genghis Khan is known...or does he want to be respected, much as Albert Einstein is: those are two very different varieties of fame. It seems to me that Pete Hammond will end up more infamous, than famous, which may not be quite what he intended.

There is another way to become famous as a film critic: be honest, be truthful and write with great insight, in well-chosen words that are as much an art form, as the films themselves. If a critic does that, they will become truly and lastingly famous - and will have respect too. So, take some advice, Peter Hammond/Pete Hammond - if you really want to be famous, there is only one way to do it right - be a great critic, instead.

(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.htmlI 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.

You can get my blog on your Kindle, for easy reading, wherever you are, by going to: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/B0042P5LEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284603792&sr=8-1

Please let all your fellow Kindlers know about my blog availability - and if you know my blog well enough, please be so kind as to write a thoughtful review of what you like about it. Thanks.

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/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

Fintan's battle cry.

We were playing a card game, a week or so ago, beneath the setting sun, outside our home. It was just my three boys and myself, and the fresh evening air. I recall feeling very content, at the time, looking around that table and seeing the three of them, enjoying themselves.

The game had held its little surprises and, oddly, at that moment, Tiarnan was winning. It was a Monopoly themed game, and Tiarnan, though just four, had managed to become the richest, most promising player at that time. His smile to himself, eyes agog at his pile of "wealth", said quite clearly that he was well aware of his leading position.

It was Fintan's turn and, just as he began to place down his first card, he cried out: "Bring on the babies!"

It was a surreal instant. The phrase hung over us, utterly without perceptible meaning. Fintan laughed, seeing my mystification, perhaps, or just sensing his own eccentricity and enjoying it.

"What does that mean?", I asked him, unable not to smile.

He mumbled something about people carrying babies, but I couldn't quite understand what he meant. I let it go.

It was clear to me that the phrase meant something to him - something funny, too. It reminded me, then, of Fintan's curious combination of good social skills, and quirky thoughts. What, I wonder, will he make of this combination of dispositions? Should he ever become some variety of creator, I am sure he will be psychologically equipped to communicate his thoughts, successfully - and do so with an engaging charm, that gets others on his side. I rather feel that this is a better combination of skills than many other more obviously blessed ones.

It strikes me now, that what is most memorable about my children, is the things they say, that I have never heard anyone else ever say...like Fintan's battle cry. Is it possible that Fintan is the first person to ever say such a thing? He certainly is, in my acquaintance, but then I am not acquainted with all utterances in human history. More important, I think, than mere intelligence, is the ability to be different from all others: if one's thoughts are distinct, they will have more impact on the world, than the smartest, but more conventional person, one can possibly find. It is not intelligence, alone, which makes culture grow - but the capacity to be different. My children have both attributes - but of the two, that disposition to be different, is vastly more important than the mere other.

Carry on being your distinct self, Fintan...even if sometimes I don't understand what you mean!

(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.htmlI 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.

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