Teachable Moment
A couple of days ago one of my grandsons and I were off to breakfast. He loves to ride in my 1974 CJ5. The jeep is several years older then he is as he is only 13. After breakfast, we pulled in for gas, I handed him the credit card and asked if he would fill it up. He looked crestfallen and said, “I don’t know how.” Though I didn’t say it, I thought, “How can this be true at 13.” “Oh” said I, “would you like to learn” and he said “yes”, and we had a gas pump lesson.
I couldn’t let go of the reality that my grandson did not know how to pump gas. Though I tried to conceal my judgement, I am sure that his mother could hear it in my voice when I mentioned it to her. She reminded me of what I had completely forgotten. “Dad” she said, “we live in Oregon, he has never had to pump gas. In fact it is illegal for anyone other than the gas station attendant to pump gas.” Oppps… I thought , but it got me thinking that for young people it is important that they learn how do things. We don’t create as many jobs for our kids to learn from. When we were younger, there were many things to do from mowing the lawn, helping to wash the car, to working in the garden. I had many jobs that I worked on with my dad, which were ideal opportunities for non threatening conversation. Its not only a time to learn a skill but a time to learn about each other It’s the satisfaction of knowing how to do things, things that contribute in small ways in everyday living.
