Life Lessons

I’m writing this post on the slow train from Palma de Mallorca to Sóller. It’s an old-fashioned way to travel, taking in the views of the countryside, going nowhere fast. It’s the end of a three-week vacation with all five kids in Barcelona, Sitges and Mallorca. As I reflect on what the kids got out of this trip besides precious childhood memories, I hope the answer is life lessons.

A couple of days ago in Sitges, we came across two young buskers playing Gipsy Kings covers and original tunes as we were walking back to our Airbnb. I stopped, the kids stopped, and we just stood there for fifteen minutes listening to the two young buskers, giving polite applause after each song and dropping change in the tips box. 

Afterwards, the kids asked me why we stopped. I explained to them that making music for a living is really hard. Many famous musicians started by busking on the street. And it’s not just musicians. Starting out is hard, but everyone has to start somewhere. There are a couple of lessons here. One, there are rarely shortcuts to success. What we see on the internet or read in the news is usually success and fame, but very few people talk about the grind. To be good at anything, or to build something great, you need to put in the time and effort. 

Second, because starting out is so hard, we need to support the folks who are at the beginning of their journey, whether they be musicians, artists or entrepreneurs. It’s true that everyone has to start somewhere. It’s also true that a person’s chances of success grows exponentially when they are supported by people who believed in them early on. That support can come in many forms - funding, evangelising, encouragement. 

Third, if we can give, we should give. We are on vacation, we have time, we can spare some change, so we gave those two young buskers our attention, time and money. For anyone starting out, knowing that someone out there appreciates their craft is so important. This can also turn into a larger conversation about giving in general. Not just to support young musicians or entrepreneurs, but giving to help the less fortunate, giving to support worthy causes. 

View of the Mallorca countryside on the slow train from Palma to Sóller.

The combination of a new environment, different culture and slowing down makes finding these life lesson moments easier while on vacation. That's not to say it's impossible to find these moments in daily life. We just need to keep an eye out for these moments, and have meaningful conversations with our child. So much of a child's worldview is shaped by what they learn from adults. Every parent wants their child to grow up to be the best person they can be. Why not start by sharing with them lessons we learnt, values we hold dear, things we know to be true?

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Till the next issue!