Little Mac Giver

It is impressive how we, grown-ups,
have the natural talent
to screw up a child.

How we can hold
a child's creative spontaneity back

simple by saying -
Hey, this is not the best way to do that −
Why don't you try it like this, or like that?

And the worst thing about this situation
is that we are probably right

when it comes to our suggestions or point of view.

But what we are wrong about is
the self-righteousness to which we think we are entitled,
interrupting whatever the kid is doing,
forcing them to stop following whatever is in their mind
− which we, by the way, have no idea what it is −,
to dictate rules, put labels on,
and establish social frames that
might restrict
the development of the child.

The kid had something in his mind.

He wanted to do something −
build from cardboard pieces −
a "thing" to uphold his laptop

But the paper that was supposed
to be the "Screen" was too light,
and kept falling, so he would have to
use something else...

I kind of said − kind of, please, don't judge −
what I wrote above:
Grown-ups blah blah blah.

He said:
No, Fabi, no...

And he kept on going with his little
hands cutting old boxes,
using quite an exaggerated
amount of masking tape,
gluing parts that, from where

I was standing, made no sense.

I offered help again.

Again, Little MacGyver said:

No, Fabi, no...

And then I thought:
You know what, let him be,
chill Fabiana...
Do nothing. Wait. Breathe.
But let him be.

It was just like an episode of Friends when
Rachel said to Ross:

"I'm giving you an advantage, take it!!"

I took it.
I made myself some coffee.

By the end of the afternoon,
he showed me his solution.
He had built this box and glued it
in such a way that the Screen was no longer an issue.

And I thought.
I child's mind is a sacred place.
The imagination that
lives in there is a powerful force.
It is like petroleum.
We must allow the digging.
Their digging.
And not dig ourselves into it.

That would be exploitation.