A couple of years ago I decided to change the combination ceiling fan/light fixture in our kitchen. Normally this is a mundane task at best. Honestly I don’t much enjoy doing household repair work, and I’m not particularly gifted at it, either. When I take on a project like this, my goal is to finish without breaking something in the house or in my body!
But this time was different. It was different because my son, three years old at the time, decided he had a project too. He strapped on his little work apron, grabbed his plastic tools, watched what I was doing, and went to it. What made the whole thing special is my wife snapped a picture that remains one of our favorites.
Imitation is natural for kids; they do it all the time. And it delights us. I remember the first time my one-year-old daughter blew a kiss. She had seen us do it hundreds if not thousands of times, and finally she decided to try it herself. We were ecstatic when she reached up to her lips and made the small smacking sound.
So what happened? Why are we adults so afraid to imitate? Why must we insist on being totally original? Why are we embarrassed when we look to another and do our own version of what they are doing?
I think it’s because we want to be seen as more developed, more mature at something than we are. We want the world to see that we are far enough along in our craft that we do not need to imitate. The reality, though, is if we do not start with imitation, we likely will never make it to true innovation.
I’m not suggesting plagiarism or copyright infringement or anything of the kind, but what I am saying is this: Don’t be afraid to be inspired by the work of another person. Don’t be ashamed to look at what they are doing and then do your own version. Maybe someday we will be so proficient at our particular trade that we won’t need to look to others. We will do our thing, and the world will jump to their feet in applause.
In the meantime, look around. Find people who are doing interesting things—things that inspire you. Then grab your little work apron, your plastic tools, watch what they do, and get to it.
Who inspires you?
Bam! Love this.
Thanks, Chuck!
I wrote this article for our paper, I write a few times a month. Our topic was “who do you admire?”
She was born in 1942 in Alberta , the eldest of three children to not the best parents on the planet. She had problems with her knees and spent months with plaster casts on each leg. In her teens she contracted scarlet fever and over time, lost ninety percent of her hearing. Her mother, remember, not the best example of a parent, accused her of faking her hearing loss for attention. I don’t know about you, but if I was going to fake something for attention, it would be a mild stomach ailment. She married at the tender age of eighteen and was a mother by the time she was nineteen. Another child followed two years later, and while her third was on its way, her young husband felt the need to be free of his responsibilities. At the age of twenty two, she was a mother of three little ones and newly divorced. She returned to Mr and Mrs Lousy Parents because where else could she go? After going away to the big city to get trained for a job that would allow her to support her children, she brought them to live fulltime with her. She worked very hard and had very little of the fun that twenty-somethings like to have. Day to day life was her children, her job and her faith. A decade after her world came crashing in, she married a fabulous, exotic, dashing man. She went from a housing project to a house with a yard, a cherry tree and the peace that comes with having someone love her enough to leave cultural conventions behind and marry her despite a few disapproving nods. The burden of providing for her children lessened, but so did the strength of her hearing. She was one of the first people in her region to have a dog specifically trained to help the deaf, and he was a treasure! He was as smart as a whip and did his job very well, unless there was a cat out on the lawn, then he struggled a bit. As all good things do, his time with her came to an end and he was missed greatly. After being tested and tested again, she received a cochlear implant. After decades of hearing very little, she was “switched on” and instantly had 100% hearing! Now she can listen to her favourite music and speak to her grandchildren on the phone. She’s travelled all over the world and is planning a very special trip next spring with her daughter. When trials came her way, she kept going. Her faith never wavered. She is an amazing woman to so many people, but to me, she is “Mom”.
Good stuff, chad. I’m enjoying these posts. I also love this picture.
Thanks, Peter, for checking in!
Good words. And still one of my favorite photos!
Thanks for snapping it, babe!