Magic Wand Moments

If you had a magic wand, what would you do with it? 

When I was a child, I first thought that if I had one I would conjure up all manner of sugary treats with a simple wave of my wand or maybe a new pair of boots or a better winter jacket.  Just a few weeks ago I realized that I truly did have a magic wand and I could choose to use it or just leave it in its case.

I know a family of five on a limited income who lives near me and the mom is home schooling the two older children because she wants to give them a better education than what the public school system can provide.  The oldest boy is 10 and is pretty smart but the younger one who is 8 has troubles with dyslexia and can barely read.  The youngest, a three year old girl will be ready for preschool soon too.  All three kids were sharing a single laptop PC this past school year and I didn’t understand how they could get much accomplished like that.

Thank goodness epiphanies don’t hurt! 

One day, while over at their house I happened to be watching the younger boy taking his turn using the shared computer to do his schoolwork.  For some unknown reason I was reminded of how over twenty years ago I bought my 4 year old daughter a copy of a kids’ reading program called ‘Reader Rabbit’ because I wanted to give her a head start in her education and I knew that teaching her to read early would give her that vital initial boost.  (I attribute my daughter’s involvement in the Gifted & Talented programs all the way through elementary and middle school to her advanced reading and comprehension skills.)

It occurred to me in a flash that what the boy needed was his own computer and his own copy of ‘Reader Rabbit’ to play with.  I went to amazon.com and sure enough, Broderbund Software was still making the product, for current versions of Windows of course.  The fact that the software company is still around twenty odd years later is impressive because most don't last that long.  I think that is a heck of a testimonial for a children’s educational software title.  Click once to ‘Add to Cart’ and in an instant the title was on its way home to me.

A couple days later I went to a used computer store and used some of my student loan money to buy the boy a used PC for $50, added more RAM and some other parts I had lying around and then spent the next several days loading it up with all kinds of software, including his own copy of ‘Reader Rabbit’.

I installed a network hub, which I no longer needed, in their living room so that multiple machines could all connect to the Internet simultaneously.  When I told Denzel that this was ‘his’ computer and he didn’t have to share it if he didn’t want to, he looked at me with a vacant stare, eyes darting around like he was trying to calculate the orbital velocities of comets in his head. 

Later that day while watching the younger boy playing with the educational software on his new machine I noticed how intently the 3 year old girl was paying attention to what her older brother was doing.  And again, BAM, just like that I realized that she needed to have her own computer and a version of Reader Rabbit tuned to her age.  She would get the PC I just gave to her brother and I’d get him something faster, a game exactly like the one I played in the business world twenty years ago. 

A couple of weeks later when I told a friend of mine about what I did, she said that those kids weren’t my responsibility and that I should have held onto my money because I’m usually broke toward the end of the semester after my student loan money runs out early.  I explained that it was a magic wand moment, that I held the power to make a positive difference in someone else’s life and I’ll always choose to wave the wand when given the opportunity.  Watching the little girl, playing her copy of ‘Reader Rabbit Preschool’, learning her ABC’s, captivated by the game, I knew I had made the right choice, and my friend was wrong.  I walked out of their house with a big smile on my heart.

My message for you this week: “Don’t ask to be blessed, instead look around you and figure out how you can be a blessing to someone else.  Down to the youngest child, everyone has something they can share, even if it’s only a smile.  I say, wave that wand whenever you get the chance.”

Setting a Good Example

One Question for Today: 
Are you a lighthouse of inspiration or a rusty old shipwreck on the beach?


The older I get, the more aware I become of the importance of setting a good example. Younger people watch our actions for guiding their own lives. When they see us do something, they reason that if it's OK for us (because we should know better) that the action is also OK for them.


For this reason I tell others that they have only two choices; you can be a lighthouse of inspiration or a rusty shipwreck on the rocks. You can be a good example or a bad one, there is no middle ground.

Lately, after getting comments in return like, "So I need to wear sunglasses when you're around me..." I'm coming to realize that very few people understand the real meaning of what I'm saying, so starting today I'm going to create a series of posts to explain myself.

One of the most influential people in my life has been my karate instructor, not for how he taught me to punch and kick but for how he encouraged us all to become better people. At the end of every karate class we recited the 5 rules of the dojo (our training facility)
1. Seek perfection of character.
2. Be faithful (Stand by your family, your friends, your community and your country. Keep your word and honor your commitments.)
3. Endeavor to always do your best.
4. Respect others.
5. Refrain from violent behavior.
Even though it’s been many years since I’ve done any karate training, I still follow the 5 rules, because they also apply to everyday life, not just karate. The first rule is the most important one and the other 4 are really just parts of the first one.

So what the heck is ‘character’ anyway? Most people have an idea but can’t come up with a decent definition. In one sentence I would say that character is the sum of all the qualities that define a person. I’m talking about things like having integrity, high morals and exhibiting ethical behavior.

How do we perfect our character? We gain character and demonstrate it by making good choices, like doing the right thing for the right reason, even when no one is watching, not talking about other people behind their backs, etc. Character is formed not only by dramatic tests and crises, but also by the constant and routine acts of everyday life. As we are faced with varying circumstances every day and decide how to act on them, our actions and deeds become our habits, and our habits become our character.

Demonstrating character means standing up for your beliefs about right and wrong and resisting peer pressure to do wrong. Character is also about being responsible; thinking before you act, considering the consequences, and being accountable when you screw up.