My husband and siblings and I spent last week cleaning and prepping our childhood home so we can put in on the market. As you might expect, this was a time filled with remembrances, laughter and a few tears.
What surprised me the most though was the frequency with which I noticed characteristics of the place where I spent my first few decades that didn’t seem to reside in my consciousness back then. One that really stuck out was how people navigated driving down Middlefield Drive (the most awesome street to grow up on as a kid). It isn’t a particularly narrow street but you can park cars on both sides and when that happens, people need to take turns getting the car you are driving through. The ease with which this happens is kind of shocking! There is this nonchalant, natural courtesy and it got me wondering, “Where did this come from?” and “Why can’t we treat each other like this more often?”
The taking turns approach absolutely had to have been modeled. I don’t recall either of my parents getting their undies in a bundle as they waited for an oncoming car to pass through. No grumbling or ugly hand gestures.
The power of modeling the behavior I yearn to see in the world is significant and generative – and something I can do. Would love to have you join me!
