Take Two, Scene Three!

Maybe it's that I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed... or maybe it's the echo created by repetition that speaks volumes to me.  Whatever the reason... it took three separate incidents before I saw the common threads between each and, in turn, today's message about creativity.   

Join me in this little script.  Three scenes, each with two takes.  Take #1 comes from "Mom" with a capital "M."  That's the mom filled with self importance.  The mom whose to-do automatically trumps the seemingly less important needs of her children.  The second response comes from "mom" with a lower case "m."  This is the calmer more relaxed mom.  The mom I aspire to be.  This is the mom who not only stops what she's doing to give her undivided attention, but more importantly... this is the mom whom makes time to ask follow-up questions!   

Questions (and MKB) are the star of today's performances. 

Follow me through these three scenes and see how the most minor of changes can make all the difference.

SCENE #1

Matthew (MKB) dragging a big brown box (which I already had in the garage for garbage pick-up) in my bedroom and coloring it, while I take a shower.  

Take #1:

MKB: Mom, come look at my space ship.

Mom: In a while, Matthew.  I'm drying my hair.

MKB: Ok. it's really cool.

Mom: (Looking inside the space ship).  Wow, that's really cool Matthew.  You worked really hard on your space ship.  You're going to have fun playing with that.

Take #2:

MKB: Mom, come look at my space ship

mom: In a while Matthew. I'm drying my hair.

MKB:   O.k.  It's really cool.

mom: (Getting inside the spaceship).  Wow, that's really cool, Matthew.  You worked really hard on your space ship.  Tell me, what do all these buttons and dials do?

MKB: (Pointing from one to the next)  This one gives you cherry bubblegum.  This one makes everything fluffy.  This one puts everything back the way it was.  This one catches bad guys by turning the space ship into a police car.  This one reads a book. This one dresses and undresses you...

And on and on Matthew went, listing the functions of about 15 different buttons and dials.

SCENE #2

Matthew runs into my bedroom from the garage holding four strands of shimmery plastic necklaces. 

 

Take #1:

MKB: Mom, Why did you throw away my necklaces?

Mom: (Thinking, ooohhh... BUSTED!).  Oh, I'm sorry Matthew.  I didn't mean to.

MKB: (Putting the necklaces over his head).  Do you want one?  You can wear it on the weekends when you have to get dressed up.

Mom:  Ok. I'll take the purple one.

MKB:  You know they have magic powers, right?

Mom: No. Really?  That makes them extra special.  You're lucky to have necklaces with magic powers.  And, thanks for sharing one with me.  You're so generous.

Take #2

MKB: Mom, Why did you throw away my necklaces?

mom:  (Thinking, oooohhh...BUSTED!).  Oh, I'm sorry Matthew.  I didn't mean to.

MKB: (Putting the necklaces over his head).  Do you want one?  You can wear it on the weekends when you have to get dressed up.

mom:  O.k.  I'll take the purple one.

MKB: You know they have magic powers, right?

mom:  No, really?  Does each necklace have it's own magic power?

MKB:  (Face lighting up).  Yes!

mom: Tell me.  What does each of them do?

MKB: The red one turns the t.v. on.  The blue one makes you fall asleep.  The purple one turns on the dryer.  And, the pink one cools me down.

(At this point I'm thinking I'd like to turn my purple necklace in for the blue one).

SCENE #3

Now I've got the hang of this question-asking thing.  Matthew just finished spreading eleven puppets out all over the living room floor.  We are hosting a puppet show for some people tomorrow night and we have to come up with a plot.  

Take #1

mom: Ok, Matthew.  Looking at all the puppets what do you think we can make our puppet show about?

MKB: I think it should be a party.

mom:  What kind of party and for who?

MKB:  (Pointing to what Matthew thinks is a police man).  It can be a birthday party for the policeman.

CKB: Ok.  How old is he turning?

MKB: Four. 

mom: (unintentionally squelching his creativity). Really?  Doesn't he look a little old for four years old?  

MKB:  O.k. how about if he's ninety-twenty-seventy two years old.

mom:  Wow 90-20-72 years old.  Ok.  Now... what happens at the birthday party? 

MKB:  The bad policeman (pointing to another puppet) tries to ruin the party.

mom: How does he try to ruin the party?

MKB: He's says, "No parties allowed and quiet down, it's too loud."

mom: Then what?  

MKB: The wizard (pointing to a puppet that really is a wizard) puts a spell on the bad policeman....

... And so the scene goes for another twenty or so minutes with mommy (small "m") asking questions and Matthew developing his own three act puppet show... to be performed tonight.  In an effort not to keep you hanging... The bad policeman is ultimately turned into a string bean and captured in a metal can. 

Yes, yesterday I relearned a couple of important things....  First.  Questions serve as the springboard for our creativity.  Second.  The cardboard box and necklaces were  - to me - garbage.  They were, in fact, in the garbage waiting to be picked up and hoping to go unnoticed by any of the three boys.  But to Matthew, the box was a space ship and the necklaces had magical powers.  Proof that...

One man's garbage is another man's treasure... the theme for the rest of our week.

Have a great Memorial Day.  Signing off until tomorrow...