When I was a child I had a suspicion, now as a father those suspicions are confirmed.
What on earth am I talking about? Bear with me, all will be revealed. I would love to be an interviewer. Some of the learners in my sessions struggle to believe it, but I actually prefer listening to talking. That is why I do the sort of job I do because the best learning environment is an engaging interactive one where at its peak the teacher is completely unrecognisable as the whole edifies each other.
Anyway, when I did student radio I got to do interview format programmes and I loved it. I love listening to people and understand their journeys that lead them to the point of our conversation.
As someone who enjoys that kind of thing, I thus have an affinity to interview programmes and documentaries. I was watching an interview with Sir Ben Kingsley. He who gave the world the definitive portrayal of Indian activist Gandhi and the accountant in Schindler’s List. A remarkable actor with quite a catalogue of outstanding roles in his repertoire. He was asked which one of the roles defined hime best – which one would he pick as his justification for being in the role. In typical human fashion Kingsley hummed and hawed and eventually said he could not choose one as he loved quite a number of them.
Fair enough.
Some other artists refuse to select one as their favourite. My hero Stevie Wonder once said that he has yet to write his best song – which keeps him ever writing to see if that will be the one and then move on without a backward glance.
Noble sentiments, indeed.
This brought about the reminder of the confirmation. As a child I had a sneaky suspicion that my parents had their favourites. The party line from both was that they had no favourites and they loved all their children. This was a stance they maintain to this day. However as life will teach there is what we say and there is what we do and often the two are not coherent.
Now as a father of three – three beautiful girls with very different personalities, there may very well be a desire from them to ascertain which one is my favourite. In contrast to my parents’ tactful retreat, I take it on in full gusto. The reality is, as they are different personalities there are likely to be aspects that connect with me more than others. I can see that in each of my three daughters, but it is stronger in some rather than others. Does that make the love less? No, it just makes its expression different. Yet that must be. If we love in the same way, it will aid one child more than another because of their make-up. So each child is loved as fully as we can as individually as we can in the context of the family unit.
In turn each child contributes her own speciality to the family unit that we celebrate. One is an eloquent and contstantly conversational type of character. Another is full of action and physical dynamism. The other is energetic, industrious, inquisitive and explorative. This is at the current stage of their development with plenty more to learn. That means their strengths are fit for certain purposes rather than others and it makes no sense to put square pegs in round holes (hint, hint, church).
Now if you’re a square peg person, you’ll love the qualities Mr. Square Peg brings. If you’re a round peg sort, then understandably Miss Round Peg will press all the buttons for you. That doesn’t mean you want the world to be just round or square pegs. Indeed you appreciate how each part is crucial for the whole to function effectively. That does not detract from the fact however, that you have your preferences … your favourites!!
Honesty about favourites and right fits doesn’t have to be about a Premier League of the anointed child who will be above all. Effective teaching and ongoing love to all for their own sake, remains. It’s about time, though, that rather than fudging the issue with platitudes and sentiments that are rather empty, we addressed the matter and recognised what we enjoy then get on with enjoying it and allow others to do the same.
Carry on.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
dmcd
Life With CD 