I appreciate Tyler and the way he takes responsibility for his life. It might make me uncomfortable seeing 15-year-olds tear off home on a powerful snowmobile in the middle of a raging storm. I don’t worry about Tyler. The country is not perfect, it is not paradise, it can be a difficult place to raise children.

But it can also often provide an opportunity for children to be by themselves, take on responsibility, connect with the natural world, gain confidence and independence. Tyler continuously impresses me, he was out shoveling mountains of snow all afternoon and I went to pay him, but he thought it was too much, he gave me a third of the money back.

He did this with poise and confidence, and his family has given him the opportunity to do his own work, be out in the world, help acquire the things he wants. He has to pay for the gas on the snowmobile himself, he is always eager to work. I met Tyler because a neighbor brought me a card he had printed up seeking work, he is building up a clientele, every time there is a storm or something on the blog that catches his eye, he calls up to see if he is needed.

My daughter has done quite well in her life, but she was raised in the Boomer culture. Children were never alone, never had an unprogrammed minute. Emma went to work in a bookstore as soon as she good, it was an important part of her development. I think she would have disliked the country, yet I often meet kids up here who seem strong and secure in their lives. Watching Tyler tear off into the adjoining pasture and plow into five foot drifts of snow, I watched for a bit, and then came into the house. I was not worried about him.

Watching Maria climb up a ladder and rake snow off the roof, I was not worried about her either. Adults and children – myself surely included – need the opportunity to grow and learn and take responsibility for themselves in a world filled with hysteria and alarms. Tyler has found his own path, so has Maria.  Perhaps I am learning how to think.