Monday, December 27, 2010

Airport Parenting

The stormy weather last week left thousands of passengers stranded. Delays due to the icy conditions in Moscow have even caused riots at the airport. These days with delays, cancellations, extra fees and security checks the word airport rarely congers soothing thoughts especially when kids are throw into the mix. However, while I waited for my flight out of Grand Forks, ND which was delayed for an hour and half due to engine failure(!), I did see overhear some very unexpected words from an extremely well composed parent.

Sitting behind me in the airport lobby was an antsy young boy, maybe 7 or 8 years old and his mom. To calm the boy down she said in the most calming voice, "how you respond to situations like this really speaks to your character." Wow, really??? To a 7-year-old? Does he know what the word character means?

At first I couldn't believe what I had heard but what took place next was even more shocking. The boy stopped fidgeting immediately and never spoke another word. Whatever that woman did she need to go file a patent, write a book and have a TV show about it.

Later on I did see the family holding their passports so we know they weren't just utilizing local country principles... If that boy didn't get the message it sure did leave a memorable impression on me.

Personality can be inherited, morales can be taught, opinions can be swayed, moods can be influenced but character is built over time. Apparently it's never too early to start or too late to catch up. Building a character and leaving a legacy all sound like things of the past. Just how often do we individuals think about that nowadays? What about our corporations?

No comments: