Standing on the dot… 8.20.23

Thank God for those who do not stand on the dots….. As I sat on my deck drinking my cup of coffee on this rare cool August morning, I read the following from my favorite blogger:

On the dot 

Hardy came home from school and proudly showed his mom the cheap plastic trinkets he had earned that day.

“I stood quietly on the dot and so I got some tickets. And if I stand on the dot quietly tomorrow, I can get some more prizes!”

First grade! That’s one way to indoctrinate kids in both obedience and consumption.

It’s rare we see it so brazenly and vividly executed.

Is standing on a dot the thing we need to train kids to do? Has each of us spent too much time standing on dots already?

I read it to Elizabeth and we talked about two brothers we are close to. One always stood on the dot. And one did not. The one who did struggled after college but has now found his path.  Teachers and others worried about the one who did not. However, he turned out fine, majored in physics, and loves his career. We sometimes fall into that same trap. Thank goodness that the parents of these two brothers did not.

So, thank you to Socrates, to Leonardo, to Luther, to Franklin, to Van Gogh, to Lincoln, to Einstein, to King, and to all the others that refused to stand on the dot. 

Thanks Seth Godin for giving me something to think about on this beautiful August morning.