We were driving today when we passed a sullen man on a corner waving an arrow back and forth.
“Going out of business sale,” his sign said.
I asked six-year-old Zachary, “Do you think he likes his job?”
“No,” he answered.
I told him I felt sad for the man. Sad that he wasn’t able to do the kind of work that he would like to do.
I told Zachary, “It’s very important that you find out what you want to do in life. Then focus on it. And get it.”
He understood my point.
What do you think of this example? The man might actually be thrilled to have the job.
I could have talked about how great that man was for doing that job to support his family. I chose instead to suggest that he could have been more than “a guy holding a sign,” and “you, Zachary, can be more than a guy holding a sign.”
Did I teach the wrong thing? Did I miss an opportunity to instead teach empathy? I look forward to your feedback.
Let’s figure this one out together,
Joe Hage
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