On the way to a meeting I stopped by a local gas station to fill up and snag a drink. Sam, the kid behind the counter, was probably 10 or 11 years old working with his dad.
Sam’s dad was coaching him on greeting customers, taking cash, credit and thanking us as we left. It was golden.
I’m not sure Sam knew how valuable a lesson he was getting behind that counter. It reminded me of so many lessons I learned (sometimes I had no idea I was learning), at the hands of my dad. The value of how to interact with others, handle money, open a bank account, ask for forgiveness for a job not well done. I learned a lot behind my own “counter” with the steady hand of my dad behind me. Guiding me, coaching me, calling me out and telling me when I hit the mark. It honed so many things that I continue to use today.
If you don’t have a “counter” for your kids to learn these things at, find one.
If you aren’t behind that “counter” with your kids, join them there.
If you still don’t have that steady hand or coach, you need to find it. Or rediscover an old steady hand.
It’s never too late to learn and hone the skills of human interaction, sometimes even manual labor or making change at a register is good for the soul.
