Teachable Moments

Life is full of teachable moments.  Today had more than it's fair share.  Although it's been several years, I think of Steve whenever I hear the term "teachable moment." I'm not sure if he used the term frequently or not, but for some reason, it resonated with me and it still does.

This evening's chaos began with a missing elbow pad that went unnoticed until I was closing the front door.  Several minutes later, my 8 year old son realized that it was hopelessly lost and I realized that we would be late.  A teachable moment of "keeping your gear near," putting things back in their place, and not waiting until the last minute. 

When we arrived on the field 15 minutes late, we noticed the 9 year old boys team was absent.  Apparently the practice location had been changed, to an area of town of which I am unfamiliar.  I immediately assigned the failure to pass on the changed location information to my ex-wife, but held my tongue and harnessed my thoughts. As I sped my way across town, I discussed the relevant issues of this situation.  My 7 year old daughter overheard my inquiry as to the exact location of the other field, and quickly (and accurately I might add) assessed that Daddy was not exactly sure of the directions.  As they sat in silence in the rear of the minivan, I realized this was a teachable moment of being flexible, not placing blame, remaining positive, and staying focused. 

We traveled to this unknown part of town, rumored to be just north of the city.  And we traveled. And we traveled. There are very nice, long, winding roads and large homes as one travels northbound on Falls Road.  However, the intersection of Joppa and Falls is located much closer to the city.  Apparently, according to the regulars of an unnamed watering hole on Falls Road, most people miss this intersection also.  The remnants of my dignity and I climbed back into the minivan and realized that this too was a teachable moment that we sometimes make mistakes.  To belabor them is useless, but to remain calm and upbeat is essential. 

We finally arrived on the field for the last quarter 10 minutes of the practice game.  My son quickly borrowed an elbow pad, was placed in the game, and made an excellent ground ball recovery and shot a goal within minutes.  The fact that we missed almost all of the game was lost as he happily received his team jersey, identifying him as a member of this year's All Star team.  This teachable moment needed no acknowledgement. 

I certainly didn't enjoy the time spent behind the wheel this evening.  Nor was I appreciative of my fuel gauge indicating the miles driven.  However, I had two happy children in the last row of seats and enjoyed the teachable moment conversations with my children.  I couldn't help but smile as we pulled up to the house.  I again realized that as a Father, half the battle is being aware of teachable moments...the other half is realizing that your actions and reactions to life's unpredictable scenarios, and in fact your interaction with the world at large, is being watched by smaller eyes.

It should be noted that Steve was raised primarily by his Father.  I'm sure he was an outstanding Father, as is Steve.  In the short time that I worked for Steve, I was very fortunate to haphazardly grasp this crucial piece of parenting knowledge without truly understanding the significance at the time.  A teachable moment....paths cross for a reason.  Thank you, Steve.