How to raise a son like Keanu Reeves

We have all seen the youtube videos, instagram posts and countless articles recounting the awesomeness that is Keanu Reeves.

With his most recent account, entertaining stranded passengers after an emergency landing https://twitter.com/CheesyJedi/status/1109629389938061312. I can’t help but wonder, when my son grows up will he be this generous?

The Quest

This is my first blog, vlog, post, webpage…whatever this is, and its bush league to say the least but if I can find some kind of clarity on how to raise my son to be a caring, loving, humble, private, supportive, rugged, honest human being than its all worth the critic and embarrassing grammatical errors.

Let’s Get Started, Who is he and where did he come from?

According to Wiki Keanu Charles Reeves was born in Beirut on September 2, 1964. Yeah BEIRUT! Like Lebanon. News to me. I will admit even though I love the way he hold and conducts himself, I’m not a celebrity hound and know very little about…well everything. He has stated in the past that his mother imparted English manners that he has maintained into adulthood. Hmmm this shoulds like a topic we will have to revisit.

Reeves’ father earned his GED while imprisoned in Hawaii for selling heroin. He abandoned his wife and family when Reeves was three years old, but Reeves knew him until he was six. They last met on the island of Kauai when Reeves was 13. I think this is something to take note of as Reeves has mentioned in the past it was a strong mother and sisters that were a larger influence in his life verses a an A typical father figure.

Reeves moved around the world frequently as a child, and lived with various stepfathers. Grandparents and nannies babysat Reeves and his sisters, and Reeves grew up primarily in the Yorkville neighbourhood of Toronto. Yorkville is worth a mention as it is a very pricy neighborhood in Toronto and I feel he would have come into contact with a wider variety of characters.

Schooling

I am a teacher and I have seen countless personalities grow and change in my own classroom. Sometimes not for the better. Either way, I have come to except that each student finds their own way. Within five years, Reeves attended four high schools, including the Etobicoke School of the Arts, from which he was expelled. Reeves stated he was expelled because he was “just a little too rambunctious and shot [his] mouth off once too often… [he] was not generally the most well-oiled machine in the school”. Reeves excelled more in sports than in academics, as his educational development was challenged by dyslexia. Remember, this would have been at a time where supports for learning disabilities would have not come close to what they are today. He was a successful ice hockey goalkeeper at De La Salle College, earning the nickname “The Wall”. After leaving De La Salle College, he attended Avondale Secondary Alternative School, which allowed him to obtain an education while working as an actor. He later dropped out and did not obtain a high school diploma. I thought for sure Reeves would at least have a high school diploma but having dyslexia at the time would have been detrimental.

So where do we go from here?

We know he has not had a prominent or typical male role model in his life to help guide a moacho exterior but a strong mother, grandparents and sister to show examples of humbleness and manners. Having multiple stepfathers, four high schools in five years, and not receiving a diploma reads like a textbook case for a life not cut of the man we know today.

Hopefully with additional digging, we can uncover some guidance to what makes Keanu well Keanu.