Yesterday my son came home from a new job. He had been washing dishes all day at a restaurant.
He’s a smart, personable, driven, ambitious kid.
I thought he could do better.
I told him that I was a little surprised at his choice. “You’re washing dishes in a restaurant?”
I have done some crazy things to provide for my family. I am certainly not afraid of dirty work. But, I was a little disappointed in my son. After all, I have done some crazy things in order to give my children better opportunities.
His response made me smile.
“Yeah, Dad. I’m doing exactly what you used to do. Before I took the job, I asked one question. I wanted to know if I could listen to stuff while I worked. They told me I could listen to whatever I wanted to. Do you know how many books I can listen to while standing there washing dishes? Besides,’ he added, ‘it’s just a short-term job. I’m only doing it to knock out some school assignments”
My son, it turns out, has discovered my number one personal development technique. It’s also my tip for you this week.
I learned Latin, Spanish, and Greek while raking leaves, driving the car, painting, and cleaning.
Every time I see a car drawn by with loud music blaring, I roll my eyes. I’ve got nothing against the music. I don’t really care what music you listen to. That’s your business, not mine. I roll my eyes because the driver is wasting so much time.
Do you realize how much you could learn if you simply used driving time to listen to educational materials, audiobooks, or podcasts?
You could learn a lot!
I didn’t get upset with my son due to his career choice. On the contrary, I asked if they were hiring. Maybe I’ll go down there and listen to some books too!
Drive time, my friends, is wasted time. Use it to learn something new!
