All EB- All the Time

"See the job, do the job." Sam Peterson (RMS 24) lived with us for a week to help take care of Porter and Jack in the busy days leading up to HMI's 15-year anniversary celebration this past June. Over dinner one night, he told us about one of his dad's parental maxims. Sam noted that it had been irritating as a child to hear the repetition of the mantra and that only as he got older did he begin to appreciate it. See the job, do the job. As you might imagine, Christopher and I latched on to that one, much to the chagrin of the boys who groan when we use it as a reminder. They might even grumble under their breath about Sam.

"How you walk is how you feel." I am regularly impressed by what great hikers and walkers Porter and Jack are. On days like yesterday, they are excited to hike and to explore. Sometimes they walk with each other and engage in elaborate conversations. Porter's eleventh birthday inspired long discussions yesterday about Hogwarts, the traits and favorite spells of various characters, and speculation about when Porter's invitation to attend the school would arrive. Other times, they pick up sticks and play their own imaginary games as they walk. I still relish the moments when one will slide in next to me so that he can hold my hand and talk to me for a while. Sometimes, however, they need a little more encouragement as one or the other will be slogging along. You can tell just by looking at him that he is not happy about walking. His shoulders are slumped, his head is down, and he is dragging his feet. He simply looks like he feels miserable. My little mantra, "How you walk is how you feel" is, I am sure, an annoying little reminder to the boys but it works every time.

 

Today I am struck (yet again!) by the power of language and attitude to influence how we see, feel, and experience the world. I also notice that once again, it all comes back to EB, or Expedition Behavior. Whether it is the boys noticing that the breakfast dishes need to be done (and then doing them together), or putting a spring in your step on a long hike, my current two favorite mantras help each of us to exhibit the very best EB and in turn, help us all to get the most out of this adventure. – Molly