As a caretaker of natives, one must pick and choose their
battles wisely. For me, the battle picked itself when the young native watched
as I tidied up the entire jungle and then with a sinister smile showered Legos
and other building blocks over the entire section of the jungle where I conduct
my journal entries. I mustered my best composed façade and informed the little
dear that it was his job and his alone to pick up these blocks. I did not
particularly care that he wanted to go in the other room to watch the
television to see a young woman perform surgery on a stuffed animal; if he
didn’t pick them up he was not leaving the room.
I walked tall out of the room full of confidence and patting
myself on the back for my excellent caretaker skills and decisions… And as with
most self-celebrations of my parenting excellence in the jungle, this too would
be short lived.
Morning quickly turned to afternoon and the young native had
stilled not picked up his toys. I tried to entice him with a treat from the
local market where we would shop later that day to no avail. As afternoon
turned to evening I dangled the opportunity to view a motion picture prior to
slumber to peak his interest…no dice. Finally I proclaimed that no stories
would be read no songs sung prior to bedtime if the blocks were not properly
returned to their rightful place, to which he informed me that he could sing
his own songs and probably better than me.
As the dawn emerged on day two I felt surely today was the day,
the native would have a change of attitude and further he would someday
appreciate me and the lessons I had passed onto him; (these are amongst the
other little lies a caretaker tells oneself to make it through the day as we
are not allowed to consume wine while “on the job”.) After numerous baits were
cast of smoothies, breakfast pastries, and possible outings I felt I was time
to take a new approach. I informed the native that if he did not pick up the
toys right then he would be attending a long “timeout” in his cave. He
proclaimed that, that sounded a whole lot better because I was driving him
crazy, then marched himself to his sleeping chambers and shut the door.
Though I am not ready to admit defeat, I fear I was not
prepared for the level of the sheer persevering will that this young native appears
to possess. Perhaps I shall put myself on a brief timeout in my cave for
reflection on the situation.
