My daughter and I had a conversation about school.  I asked her whether she liked it and her response was expected –  not really.  I was like that too.  For someone who has gone to quite a bit of school and taught, sitting in class wasn’t that appealing.  I asked her what classes she didn’t like and she replied art and math.  The two favorite subjects of the girl out of left field/with the short fuse.  I then told the daughter that back in my day, we had home economics and something that I’m not sure would fly these days – shop.  I told her how a bunch of 12 year olds were given access to band saws, heavy machine tools, and other cutting implements.  I also told her I secretly carved a dagger.  She said she could see that and she would have done the same – much better than crocheting.  I never worried that she’d join a gang – the concern is she’ll lead one.  We then pretended to tase her little brother.

This one is about seeing possibilities where there appear to be none.

There is a primer on strategy authored by Lawrence Freedman.  It is majestic.  The definition of strategy can be elusive.  To me I keep it simple – getting to where you need to be with what you have.  Freedman’s is more elegant – the art of creating power where there is none.  It is often the province of the underdog – although this is a dangerous idea that makes little sense.  The powerful ignore strategy at their own risk.

An insightful way to think about problem solving is the scenario posed by John Boyd.  What do you create in a snowstorm to survive with the following – a bicycle, motorboat, and a tractor?  A snowmobile.  The handles from the bicycle, engine from the boat, and treads from the tractor.  It’s the same way with many challenges.  We have to draw from different sources.  

I’ve also been having these father-daughter talks per Vito and Michael.  They are both similar.  Their decision to kill an enemy that seemed impossible is a landmark moment in their journey.  They read the board differently than others and saw the weakness that weren’t apparent at first glance.  They also knew how to piece together facts and resources to accomplish their goals.  Many times, the pieces that are important aren’t so apparent initially.  

It took me a while to carve that dagger.  The teacher knew but he turned a blind eye.  He was cool – Lynyrd Skynyrd fan and I think he secretly approved.  Probably better than carving a cat.  He just told me to hide it.  Good teachers are worth their weight in gold.

To be fair, I also did like home economics.  To show I’m not a thug, I did sew a tote bag and learned to bake snickerdoodles.