My kids have a friend that we will call “Hank”. After hanging out with “Hank” they will come home and tell us some outlandish story that is obviously not true. We’ll ask some clarifying questions about where they heard this, and they’ll often say,
“‘Hank’ told us”.
We all know a “Hank”
We all grew up with a “Hank”.
We may have been “Hank”.
We may be “Hank”.
I don’t think “Hank” is trying to tell lies or lead people astray intentionally…I think he wants to fit in, he wants to be accepted, he wants to prove a point, or appear a certain way. As we all know, even if it is unintentional, telling lies, misleading others, and manipulating things so we appear in the best light will take a toll on us.
My oldest son, Foster loves fishing. Regularly, he’ll say,
“is everyone else thinking about fishing right now?”
“No buddy. Nobody is thinking about that. Just you.”
He loves it. He loves the calm and quiet. He loves the excitement when you get a nibble. He loves being in nature. It is his passion right now. He’s new on the journey, but he is jumping in, head first trying to learn everything about fishing that he can.
I was really more of a music, theatre, and dance kid. I went fishing with my dad a few times growing up. I love people. I like nature. I don’t love extended periods of quiet waiting…so fishing is not really my thing.
So, I’m not a great leader when it comes to guiding my son in his fishing pursuits.
In our family, we are a bunch of outgoing gregarious extroverts. We will talk to just about anyone anywhere. Recently we were in Washington, D.C. waiting to go on a tour of The White House and my son, Foster, noticing the very serious Secret Service member who was built like an Irish Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and looked about as warm and cuddly as a an avalanche, was struggling with the identification scanner and corresponding computer. Foster noticed that this guy who was built and outfitted for the field and yet here he was hunched over a tablet corralling lines of people and trying to get them checked in for their tour.
He was not loving it.
With this security guard deep in IT frustration, Foster says, “excuse me Mr. Secret Service, sir.”
In which Sarah and I immediately tapped the brakes and told Foster to wait…“Mr. Secret Service is very busy”…and I didn’t want to lose my place in line…
This time of year is a bit odd. Sometimes it feels like winter and sometimes it feels like summer. Sometimes it is pouring down rain and sometimes I’m unexpectedly sunburnt. Some of the plants around my house are starting to show signs of life and others look like winter destroyed them and there is no hope. Parts of the country are getting incredible unexpected snow fall and others are getting tornados.
