1-2-3 JUMP!
My mother in law is visiting, so we found a nice room at the Embassy Suites. My favorite thing about the place is the pools. One of Elizabeth's friends brought over her three-old-son, Clayton, to the pool yesterday.
I enjoy spending time with Clayton. I learn and relearn a lot about childhood when I'm around him. Sometimes I see him do something funny, and I take it comically, but then I remember how similar he is to me and I pause.
For example, yesterday Clayton was excited about getting into the pool. Then he put his finger in and shuddered. He watched the water for a minute. Then he went over to his mom and said, "I'm going to count to three and then jump into the pool." He looked enthusiastic. This was going to be the brilliant solution.
The ladies were taking their time getting in.
So Clayton went over to the edge. "One ..." He said confidently. "Two," he said slowly. "Three!" He shouted but did not jump.
I find it hard to know what people are thinking - especially children. Having some similar experiences myself as a boy, my guess is that Clayton was so enthusiastic about "using numbers" that he overlooked the work of choosing to jump into the pool. It's like, "Hey! I can count to three!" But what do these numbers, these ideas have to do with the decision part?
A friend of mine told me at work yesterday: "I don't mind listening to professors, but, honestly, I think gamblers understand life better than teachers do." And I agree. Life demands choices when everything can seem unclear. The hard part is we are responsible for what we decide.
But most people are seldom aware of their choices. So many things get blamed on habit or necessity. But kids aren't like that.
I enjoy spending time with Clayton. I learn and relearn a lot about childhood when I'm around him. Sometimes I see him do something funny, and I take it comically, but then I remember how similar he is to me and I pause.
For example, yesterday Clayton was excited about getting into the pool. Then he put his finger in and shuddered. He watched the water for a minute. Then he went over to his mom and said, "I'm going to count to three and then jump into the pool." He looked enthusiastic. This was going to be the brilliant solution.
The ladies were taking their time getting in.
So Clayton went over to the edge. "One ..." He said confidently. "Two," he said slowly. "Three!" He shouted but did not jump.
I find it hard to know what people are thinking - especially children. Having some similar experiences myself as a boy, my guess is that Clayton was so enthusiastic about "using numbers" that he overlooked the work of choosing to jump into the pool. It's like, "Hey! I can count to three!" But what do these numbers, these ideas have to do with the decision part?
A friend of mine told me at work yesterday: "I don't mind listening to professors, but, honestly, I think gamblers understand life better than teachers do." And I agree. Life demands choices when everything can seem unclear. The hard part is we are responsible for what we decide.
But most people are seldom aware of their choices. So many things get blamed on habit or necessity. But kids aren't like that.
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