Parental Compliments

A good parent, it is said, should encourage and foster in their children, the pursuit of their dreams and aspirations. Given, however, that dreams and aspirations almost never come true, one wonders why this standard is established as such, and why parents aren't expected to instead support the validity of dead-end, pointless jobs and careers that the vast majority of their children will inhabit. To wit, the present author's parents continue to assert that said author has innumerable talent in certain areas. Given that this supposed talent has not; A) manifested itself, or B) resulted in any monetary or critical affirmation, it is easy to say, then, that said parents are enumerating impossibilities as potential realties. While some may take this and use it to further their delusions of grandeur, most will take it as a sign of failure, when in reality, the expectations were never realistic to begin with.