Meet the Parents
Posted by Pete Robbins on Dec 10th 2019
Every professional angling family makes sacrifices, whether some of them stay home or all of them go on the road together. As a non-parent, I’m not sure I have earned the full right to criticize any of those in either camp, but having carefully watched some traveling families it’s immediately evident that some take advantage of life on the road better than others. Home schooling in particular is a hot button topic, and one that I’m not fully qualified to assess, but some of the tour-level parents make the most of it, while others may be doing their kids a long-lasting educational disservice.
But one family about whom I have no doubt is the Kennedys. Whether you’ve met them, spent time with them or just followed them on social media, it’s immediately apparent that they are getting the job done. It’s not just that young Sophia and SJ are well-read, well-spoken and engaged, but also the way that Julia (and to a lesser extent, Steve) uses life on the road to their advantage. Hardly a day goes by when they are not headed to a museum, historical exhibit or other learning experience. Perhaps more importantly, the kids don’t resent or dread those outings – they relish them. During a recent dinner with them in Alabama, Sophia passionately and accurately described her trip to the Library of Congress during a 2017 Elite event on the Potomac. They told me about the sights and history of Ottawa. SJ can probably tell you more about wind power than most engineering graduate students. For them, the eventual move to college, wherever they attend (and it will almost certainly be Auburn, at penalty of decapitation by mom) will likely be a step back.
Learning aside, they have fun wherever they go. They collect sharks’ teeth. They ride bikes. They go out to view manatees. To be a Kennedy child is to be on a constant vacation within a world that is half-encyclopedia, half Disney.
That’s all a long way of saying that I’m entering the transfer portal. I hereby declare my intent to become the third Kennedy child (fourth, if you count Coco the dog).
I promise, I’ll take out the trash. I don’t need an allowance. I’ll never forget to call on mom and dad’s birthdays.
Sorry to my biological parents. I think they did a good job, but it just didn’t look as fun as what’s behind Door Number K.
