Grandson was telling
Nan about the job market at his pre-school.
The jobs were varied: Line
Leader, Hamster Feeder, Ambassador, Fish Feeder, Gate Holder, Lunch Helper, and
Bell Ringer.
Most of the job
titles seemed self-explanatory, except one.
So, Nan asked, “Ambassador? What does the Ambassador do?”
“The Ambassador
helps people get along,” Grandson said.
“Have you ever
been the Ambassador.”
“Yes.”
“Well, what did
you do?”
“Well, two boys
kept getting into fights and I asked them why.
When they told me, I told them that maybe they should find someone else
to play with and stop trying to play with each other for the rest of the day.”
“What happened
then?”
“They played
with other people and were okay the rest of the day.”
“Well,” Nan
said, “it sounds like you did a really good job.”
Grandson just
sighed, “Maybe, but I’ve never been the Bell Ringer. I’d really like to be the Bell Ringer.”
“Oh,” Nan
asked, “what would you do if you were the Bell Ringer?”
As Grandson
explained, Nan realized Bell Ringer was a job with real power. The Bell Ringer rang the bell to start the
day. Rang the bell to end recess. Rang the bell to end lunch. Rang the bell to end the afternoon recess.
Rang the bell announce time to clean up.
Real power.
“I really hope
I can be the Bell Ringer someday,” Grandson said wistfully.
“I do too,”
said Nan.
Grandson is
only five. He doesn’t yet know the world
is full of Bell Ringers, full of people ready to tell you what to do, to manage
your life. He doesn’t know the world
really needs more Ambassadors. It needs
those people who help others solve their problems, to show people simple,
sensible solutions to conflicts.
Sure, the
hamster needs to be fed, the gate needs to be held, and I guess someone needs
to ring the bell once in a while. But,
oh, how much we need Ambassadors.
