I have a nephew, Ethan, who I call E-O. Without anyone telling him, he called me Dave-O right back. He is maybe four or five? Super smart kid, naturally funny, and he likes me-- a perfect candidate to become just like me. Puuurrfect.We were on a family hike near Provo, going to some falls, when I realized that I could help E-O get ahead of the curve. We were racing against his older, and much more competitive brother Ezra and his friend, when they started to insult each other.
"Hey, slow-man..." "What? bumble berry bottom!" "Don't fall off the cliff."
You get the idea. A nun could have done better. I nudged E-O. "Tell them that they will never be successful in life." He did, without hesitation, and they couldn't respond. After a few minutes of silence, trying to process this prophetic message, they threw out "Yeah, well, you can't eat breakfast, cause your teeth are rotten." E-O knew better, he looked at me, eager to learn from a fountain of never ending knowledge. "Say, good luck on your 401K. Oh wait, you'll be unemployed for the rest of your life!" His delivery was sublime. I gave him an approving nod. It was over their heads. E-O was getting excited about the results of these statements. I was too, for he was learning art. I gave him another one to put the nail on the coffin, "Good luck finding happiness with your personality."
I am a good uncle. I am preparing my nieces and nephews for the real world. Gotta know how to throw sticks and stones so they can crush opponents. This is a world of ever increasing competition. Is your posterity going to be left behind?
