Taking Care of Business. Part 2.
Forty years ago, my daughter and I often went downtown on business. (See Part 1). Sometimes we also went on business trips together…
Even at two years old, Emily drove a hard bargain. So, long before anyone had dreamed up “Take Your Child to Work Day,” [see below] I occasionally took her on business trips, especially when I thought her charming personality and take-no-prisoners negotiating skills might give me a competitive edge.
The reactions to her in the world of 2- and 3-piece suits ranged from mild discomfort to pleasure at the break in routine. While she usually preferred not to interact with strangers, she tolerated them, especially if they came bearing gifts.
One time, we went to a large offset printing business south of Boston where she was treated like royalty. As I stood obsessing over project details, she crawled into a comfortable swivel chair in front of the owner’s desk and twirled around as she sucked on her bottle. I introduced her as my Credit Manager and she responded with remarkably emphatic and perspicacious "No's!!" to all questions regarding our solvency.
Later, as we walked through the plant—Emily couldn’t care less about OSHA regulations—I caught her out of the corner of my eye being offered a positively lethal amount of candy by one of the guys in the shop. I had to do a quick sleight of hand to change those half dozen pieces into one.
By the end of the day, she’d accumulated three coloring books, two notepads, a cap that wouldn’t fit her for many years, and a piece of peanut brittle, all of which she had graciously accepted as offerings she was due.
Thanks largely to her, we received way more personal attention than I would have expected for our very small job at this very large plant.
I guess sometimes it really pays off to act like a two-year-old in the business world. Especially when it couldn’t be more age-appropriate.
***I know what you're thinking...wasn't it "Take Our Daughters to Work Day"? Yes. And they've been trying to re-brand and gender-fluid the concept ever since—including "National Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day" (started by Gloria Steinem and friends in 1993) and more recently "Take Our Children to Work Day." The idea is that going to work with a parent will:
“inspire children to see the different roles required to run a business or to build a project. They may find an interest in engineering, accounting, or art while spending the day with mom or day. Perhaps a child’s natural proclivity for order leads them into logistics someday.” See more.
“Proclivity for order?” “Logistics?” Who comes up with this stuff? While the intentions are good, there’s something condescending about the entire concept. It’s a two-way street. Kids have as much to pass up to their parents as their parents have to pass down to them.
It’s about seeing things through each other’s eyes. And that, we’re all still learning.
A version of the whole essay originally appeared in Shark Reef, a 20-year-old literary magazine named after a nature sanctuary on Lopez Island in Washington State.
Such a lovely piece!