Free Creative Commons E-Book: “Clones”
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Your cloned child is a mirror, simultaneously reflecting who you are and what you might have been. It’s potential was your potential. Can your clone achieve the dreams that fell to the wayside in your own life, or is it doomed to repeat your mistakes?
Clones is a collection of speculative short-stories that explores the relationship dynamics between parents and their cloned children.
I’ve always thought it would be easier to raise a clone, than a non-clone. Knowing your own faults, you could steer “You v2.0” away from pitfalls that you were unable to steer yourself away from.
Comment by ClintJCL — April 28, 2008 @ 6:59 pm
I dunno, I’d probably screw myself up accidentally. I don’t think I would be the same person without my Grandma living right across the street from us, among other things. My childhood was a happy one for the most part. At least, I remember it that way. And I don’t want kids for a reason because I think I’d screw them up. I do not see myself in that role.
Comment by Carolyn — April 28, 2008 @ 11:08 pm
I have a hard time seeing the raising of a clone being any different from the raising of a child with two genetic contributors. It’s along the lines of building two buildings from the same blueprints, twenty years apart. The buildings are identical down to the faults in their architecture, but the inhabitants are different and they’ll never exist in the same exact space. The graffiti will still look like graffiti, but it’ll never have the same exact context. So how is that different from building two buildings, from two sets of blueprints, twenty years apart?
-BMF
Comment by BMF — April 28, 2008 @ 11:28 pm
If I raised a clone of me, I would introduce it to drugs and encourage dating.
That way there could be a cool popular version of me!
(btw, Obama on campus today for the win)
Comment by Nick Hamden — April 29, 2008 @ 12:37 am
I’m not sure how I would want a clone of me raised. I have two things I say I would do differently if I had to do it all over again:
1) Take courses about trees in college.
2) Learn to skateboard when I was young and fearless.
But that would make for a pretty brief mini-book. :)
I am thankful for a lot of facets about how I was raised. I liked the closeness to extended family (like Carolyn mentioned). I like the openess we developed with our immediate family. I am glad I got exposed to skiing and rollerblading when I was young and fearless. My brief bridge career, which kept me indoors and caused me to miss a few parties and sleepovers, I’m still thankful for because in a brand new school surrounded by people much smarter than I, I had something unique to embrace and use as a foundation for self-esteem.
I was plagued with a fear of vomit for two decades, but even that I don’t think I would change. My coming of age to adulthood was when I finally got over that fear. Plus, I don’t think there is anything a parent (or an older clone) could have done to deter that. It didn’t work to hear anyone else say throwing up wasn’t a big deal. I had to work it out in my own mind. I expect my clone (if afflicted with similiar anxieties) would ultimately have to address it herself.
Though… if I had an older clone who beat a vomit fear– that is a solid, undeniable precedence for success. I guess in that aspect, conquering such a fear would seem obtainable and less scary. OR…. would it encourage procrastination? “Oh, I can get better whenever I want, so it can wait.”
Now I confused myself.
Comment by TGAW — April 29, 2008 @ 2:50 pm
Love that the idea stirred up some comments. Carolyn, you would make a great mother, you got nothing to worry about.
BMF – That’s an important point, and one I’ve got an ionian enchantment post to polish up and address.
Comment by ideonexus — April 29, 2008 @ 10:24 pm
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