Monday, March 12, 2007
The Guidance Guy Starts A Riot At The Dollar Store
Hello My Friends!
Sunday Evening, around 6:30...
I bring my daughters to our local Everything For A Buck Emporium to pick up a few odds and ends. We're in the toy aisle and come across a basket of small playground balls with Pokemon on them.
Of course being who I am, I grab three and start juggling. Hey, I'm bored!
About five seconds into my fun time I attract a group of five or six kids. I'm guessing the oldest is about ten. No parents in sight.
"Hey, Wow! Look at what he's doing!"
Of course the performer in me comes out, so I throw a few little tricks in for fun. Criss-cross arms, fountain pattern, just little stuff. One bounce off the head. And of course the kids go wild.
Now juggling in on a stage or other wide open place with professional juggling equipment is one thing. Juggling Pokemon balls with uneven weights in a store aisle with kids all around is another. The balls came down in pretty short order, which wound the kids up even more.
So the ring leader picks up a couple and does the classic little kid "throw one in the air and pass the other from hand to hand" maneuver. He doesn't survive his first toss. And of course the rest of the kids follow suit.
Before long, they're all asking me how to juggle and telling me I'm even better than the guys in the circus.
And of course, one kid - right on cue - picks up a Nerf football and does his best NFL quarterback impression. He flings it the length of the store. Perhaps it's best we don't know where it landed.
"Quick girls, get your stuff and let's get out of here."
Fortunately the store was only staffed by two ladies, bother of whom were working up front. We pay and leave. A clean get-away.
Besides being The Guidance Guy, I'm also a juggler. I created the Juggle To Success program, so I'm actually more a juggling trainer than a juggler. I believe in juggling as a way to teach all the important things in life...healthy risk taking, team building, self-confidence, managing change, even making big changes in business and edcuational organizations.
So as much as I'd prefer not to start riots in retail stores, I'm actually very happy I lit a spark in these kids. Enthusiasm is where everything begins. It lets you know what's possible and gives you the incentive to dream big.
I wonder if someone's going home tonight and thinking about a future career or some other big goal...while tossing pairs of rolled up socks in their room (far away from anything breakable of course).
Have a Great Day,
Larry Hochman
The Guidance Guy
P.S. Something BIG is coming up. I'm not supposed to talk about it just yet, but there's something new coming your way!
Sunday Evening, around 6:30...
I bring my daughters to our local Everything For A Buck Emporium to pick up a few odds and ends. We're in the toy aisle and come across a basket of small playground balls with Pokemon on them.
Of course being who I am, I grab three and start juggling. Hey, I'm bored!
About five seconds into my fun time I attract a group of five or six kids. I'm guessing the oldest is about ten. No parents in sight.
"Hey, Wow! Look at what he's doing!"
Of course the performer in me comes out, so I throw a few little tricks in for fun. Criss-cross arms, fountain pattern, just little stuff. One bounce off the head. And of course the kids go wild.
Now juggling in on a stage or other wide open place with professional juggling equipment is one thing. Juggling Pokemon balls with uneven weights in a store aisle with kids all around is another. The balls came down in pretty short order, which wound the kids up even more.
So the ring leader picks up a couple and does the classic little kid "throw one in the air and pass the other from hand to hand" maneuver. He doesn't survive his first toss. And of course the rest of the kids follow suit.
Before long, they're all asking me how to juggle and telling me I'm even better than the guys in the circus.
And of course, one kid - right on cue - picks up a Nerf football and does his best NFL quarterback impression. He flings it the length of the store. Perhaps it's best we don't know where it landed.
"Quick girls, get your stuff and let's get out of here."
Fortunately the store was only staffed by two ladies, bother of whom were working up front. We pay and leave. A clean get-away.
Besides being The Guidance Guy, I'm also a juggler. I created the Juggle To Success program, so I'm actually more a juggling trainer than a juggler. I believe in juggling as a way to teach all the important things in life...healthy risk taking, team building, self-confidence, managing change, even making big changes in business and edcuational organizations.
So as much as I'd prefer not to start riots in retail stores, I'm actually very happy I lit a spark in these kids. Enthusiasm is where everything begins. It lets you know what's possible and gives you the incentive to dream big.
I wonder if someone's going home tonight and thinking about a future career or some other big goal...while tossing pairs of rolled up socks in their room (far away from anything breakable of course).
Have a Great Day,
Larry Hochman
The Guidance Guy
P.S. Something BIG is coming up. I'm not supposed to talk about it just yet, but there's something new coming your way!
# posted by Larry Hochman : 8:13 AM
