Thursday’s Child

Thursday’s child has far to go. I love Thursday’s child (but then I love them all, at least on my good days) because I relate to late bloomers. I was very late to grow, to hit puberty, to realize why one is supposed to study or get good grades. I was late to understand what an SAT was, and late to apply to college. I was late to realize that I wasn’t really suited to my first career, and I was late to go to psychology school… and despite all my best efforts I’m always running late with my clients (because I have just one last thing to tell the client just before) and I’m always the last one out the door, annoying everyone waiting in the car to go to dinner. I’m not saying this is right or admirable, just that it’s Thursday, so please try to relax.

I know that in certain other cultures time is not so valued, and I’ve enjoyed being in countries where you get there when you get there.  We are well-served to be a bit skeptical about fast being equated with better. Kids who walk early don’t turn out to be more gifted walkers at mid-life; and too many “gifted” programs are simply normal programs with the fast forward button on.

Thursday’s kids need to be recognized and encouraged. They are vulnerable to thinking that they are dumb just because they are not “quick.” Einstein was considered retarded in elementary school. And it was Abraham Lincoln who said, “It’s better to remain quiet and have people wonder if you are stupid than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.” The danger here is not with children opening their mouths, but rather with us adults who already know what we want to say, and how things should go. I once dreamed of coughing up feathers and my son, maybe nine or ten at the time, said, “I know what that dream means: you talk too much!” Guilty as charged, but at least I’ve removed all doubt.

My thought this Thursday is to go back to beginnings be new in the world again. Don’t know. Have far to go. Listen to our kids. Tune into the “spectrum” kids, watch the non-verbal kids for non-verbal communications. Watch the ants and the social insects, watch the solitary beetles treasuring the turds in the field (there is gold in the poop!).

And since we all have far to go, let’s honor Thursday’s child and play a word-game in the car, or an idle and meaningless video game, or eat junk food and just not be so driven, effective and efficient (as if…), but nonetheless let’s love Thursdays child in honor of all the late bloomers, non-bloomers and never-bloomers and the faded flowers we parents are all fast becoming (but hopefully with love and a good attitude).

Namaste, Bruce