Words of Wisdom #2

I started working – an actual on a daily basis job when I was fifteen years old. Yes I did a bunch of stuff before that but I don’t count it. Sometime in those early years I took on this Sleeism #2. It has been heard by anyone who has ever worked with me or suffered a discussion with me or in one manner or another spent time with me – which leads to me two short stories. Remember me? I tell stories as a means of ensuring that people understand my strange mannerisms in communications.

Story #1: It is 1983 and my family and I have moved to Denver, CO. I was working for a computer software company, EBS. The VP of Sales was a gentleman named Bill McManes. He was one of the best sales people I have ever seen from a selling technique perspective. He was awesome in action. Well my family was invited to join Bill and his family for Thanksgiving Dinner. It was a wonderful gesture. We were new in town and we didn’t know that many people so it was appreciated. We sat down for the dinner and Caroline my daughter was sitting to Bill’s left and Marlene, my wife, and I were down at the other end of the table. Bill looks to Caroline and asks innocently “Caroline have you heard about your father’s three strikes rule?”  Caroline is an extremely wonderful person and she has a rather scary attribute – she is extremely intelligent. I know that is a father talking but I promise if anything I understate it. Well without missing a beat Caroline, who was somewhere around 8 years old at the time, said “Yes Bill I have one strike how many do you have?” Bill in amazement looked down the table and said “You do this to your kid???”

Story #2: It is about 2009 and my daughter Caroline is going through her student teaching assignments. She was in a rather rough school in an underprivileged area. Well Caroline is a small woman somewhere around 100 pounds soaking wet and about 5”3. She also is a runner so she is incredibly fit. She calls me after school one day and relates the following story.

One of the students was causing trouble. This was a grade 5 class and the students are always trying to be the center of attention. After politely attempting to get control of the room there was this one young man who continued on being a disturber. He wouldn’t stop. So what did my daughter do? She asked him to stand up and while he was standing, being watched by everyone in the room, she walked slowly up to him and get very close. She held up one finger and said to this astonished your person in the appropriate tone “That Is One” – she turned didn’t say anything else and walked away. When she turned around to face the class she told him that he could now sit down. He never caused trouble again. She said to me on the phone “Dad does that ever work.” And I asked her why she thought it worked. She said – and I love it – he didn’t know what #2 was going to be.

So there are two stories to explain Sleeism #2 here it is:-

Sleeism # 2

Once is happenstance; Twice is circumstance; Third time is Enemy Action