Yeah that title got your attention didn't it??
Funny thing is those words came from A, not me! This week we went to have coffee with a teacher A had several years ago at his old school. We try to catch up with this guy several times a year for a coffee and catch up on life. That year was one of profound impacts on both parties. He made a profound impact on A by making A responsible for dealing with social issues like friendships, recognising that friendships take work and that he had to meet people half way. A, too made a profound impact on this teacher, and he still talks regularly about him to people he meets.
After spending a couple of hours together with him, A and I were travelling home and talking in the car. We talked about how his teacher joked and teased him about an upcoming peer mentoring program he is doing (that is another blog coming). At one point during coffee, his teacher said something along the lines of "hmm you thought you would get away with the social stuff with me didn't you, that I would just fix it, but you were wrong" to which A responded "yep that was a turning poing"
hellllooooo my 16 year old comes out with "yep that was a turning point" - how the heck did I raise a child that is so self-aware that he can see a "turning point" in his life when he is now 16 and he was about 12 at the time of the "turning point"!!! That alone messes with my head.
Then on the way home he talked about that some more and then went on to talk about leadership and mentoring. He told me that he seems to have "become the "go-to guy, the wise old sage kind of" with his school friends and peers. It seems his friends or their girlfriends seek his counsel at times of difficulty or relationship issues. I suggested perhaps it is because he is very logical and rational in his thought processes so they know he will give them good advice.
Funny thing is those words came from A, not me! This week we went to have coffee with a teacher A had several years ago at his old school. We try to catch up with this guy several times a year for a coffee and catch up on life. That year was one of profound impacts on both parties. He made a profound impact on A by making A responsible for dealing with social issues like friendships, recognising that friendships take work and that he had to meet people half way. A, too made a profound impact on this teacher, and he still talks regularly about him to people he meets.
After spending a couple of hours together with him, A and I were travelling home and talking in the car. We talked about how his teacher joked and teased him about an upcoming peer mentoring program he is doing (that is another blog coming). At one point during coffee, his teacher said something along the lines of "hmm you thought you would get away with the social stuff with me didn't you, that I would just fix it, but you were wrong" to which A responded "yep that was a turning poing"
hellllooooo my 16 year old comes out with "yep that was a turning point" - how the heck did I raise a child that is so self-aware that he can see a "turning point" in his life when he is now 16 and he was about 12 at the time of the "turning point"!!! That alone messes with my head.
Then on the way home he talked about that some more and then went on to talk about leadership and mentoring. He told me that he seems to have "become the "go-to guy, the wise old sage kind of" with his school friends and peers. It seems his friends or their girlfriends seek his counsel at times of difficulty or relationship issues. I suggested perhaps it is because he is very logical and rational in his thought processes so they know he will give them good advice.
I have said since he was very young that he is what I call "an old soul, someone who has been here before" - he has always had a maturity beyond his years and a way of looking at the world that is quite unique and beyond his level of life experience - WISE OLD SAGE indeed : - )
