I was on the phone with my dad and told him I got a new job on a well-respected preschool show. To reassure him that his son is moving on up, I told him that it’s good for my future.

He didn’t immediately respond. I could hear him thinking for a moment. I was hoping he’d congratulate me, but what a fool I was to think that. He asked me, “What is…your future?” That “….” said so much. He only said four words but it had the impact of a manifesto. In one question, he asked me:

• Are you sure this is good for your future?

• What is exactly are your plans?

• What is the path to your future? Because I’m not quite sure. Are you?

I couldn’t help but laugh. He’s so good at flipping my words and self-expectations but in a challenging and inquisitive way. He puts it on me to think things through as opposed to telling me what to do, so in turn I feel like I’ve made my own decisions. Quite the parenting technique. He essentially Jedi mind-tricked me.