In Africa – “They are just monkeys”

One thing I learned in America – People learn from a young age to encourage others – it’s a good thing!

Climbing in trees is a natural thing in Africa. I remember an old oak tree in the backyard of our small farm. It was a great tree to climb, as tall as you could see from the ground and as you got higher and higher the branches became thinner and less challenging. My younger brother did not have the fear of heights that I had and could zip to the top and wave back and forth with ease.
My mom had one rule – “If you can get up there, you can get down on your own too” Yep, my mom used to torture us and beat us a lot too [only kiddingJ]

My son was 5 when we came to America and could climb trees like a monkey by that stage. In California suburbia he found all sorts of things to climb that the other kids were not allowed to climb. I remember one day his next door neighbor friend getting into trouble because he followed my monkey by climbing to the top of a fig tree and then leaning it over so that he could touch the roof of our house and then jump onto the roof.
We were from Africa, what did we know!

One day when he was six we went to a local amusement park where they had a climbing wall. Of course he wanted to try it for the first time. There was a crowd of parents watching kids, most of them much older, climb up the wall and try to ring the buzzer at the top. Many tried, some succeeded.

As my son went higher and higher, he went slower and more hesitantly, trying to find the appropriate footholds. From time to time he would get stuck, looking for a way up, getting a little nervous. Now the smallest guy to try the wall that afternoon, I was obviously just proud of him trying. As he edged higher and higher, I encouraged him.
“You can do it boyo”
“Just one little move to the left”
“You are almost there”
“Just a little further, almost there boy”

Little by little he inched up, nearer and nearer to the top. Just me at the bottom and him trying to get to the top, in our own little world of father and son.

With one final effort he reached up and hit the buzzer and looked down at his dad as if he had just summited Everest. We had not noticed that a crowd of about 50 people had gathered to watch as the whole event took place. Spontaneously they all burst into applause and cheered. What a moment!

As we go through life, achievements come through little steps, one at a time. As we see others try something they have never tried before, step out just a little outside their comfort zone to try something, it is a good thing to celebrate them.

Part of the human spirit loves to see others overcome adversity and overcome. Almost never is it in large jumps, but in small, deliberate, scary steps into the unknown.

As we plan for college, we encourage our students, teach them, train them, show them the ropes and do all we can to prepare for their future – it’s just a natural thing. There does come a time when we have to let go and let them climb for themselves. We can always still be standing back on shouting encouragement.

It’s never too early or too late to put together your plan for College. There is never a better time like NOW!