President's Perspective - September 2022

A cabinet door that opens

Unlocking a world of wonder

Wonder is a beautiful gift. The ability to imagine something that doesn’t exist or to take something that does and expand on it in imaginative ways is a practice the world leaves little time for these days. With a constant “go-go-go” schedule, the concept of sitting back and really just spending time in wonder is a whitespace that simply doesn’t exist in our checkbox, planner society.

But in the world of children, it turns out that there is ample time to wonder. In fact, that’s really all there is on the day’s agenda—play, wonder, imagine, learn. As a mom to two young kids, I see wonder play out right before my eyes by the hour.

Some of the wonder is nuanced, like my son laughing every time the dog walks in front of his stroller on a walk. (Why is that funny?! I have no idea).

Some of it is far more direct, like my daughter asking me why the clouds look dark or where that guy is going.

Sometimes my answers are hurried, because it’s going to rain, and I don’t know where everyone is going all the time. But sometimes my answers play into their imagination. Sometimes we create stories about the person in the car next to us on their next big adventure. Sometimes I ask questions back—Why do you think the clouds are dark?—and wait to see where their little brains are headed. Sometimes I just laugh at their laughter. But more often than not, I find myself in awe of their ability to wonder and how stifled my ability seems to be.

My 15-month-old son is currently in the “try to open absolutely anything with a handle” phase. Our dishwasher is currently covered in painters tape trying to keep the darn thing closed as an answer to his antics.

Our cabinets are locked, usually for good reason. But every now and then, my son finds one that I forgot to re-lock. His short little self will stand there, gleeful that he found a magical opening cabinet, and open it and close it for several minutes. He smiles as he shuts it and pulls again to open it. Inside are hidden treasures—shinny cans of chicken noodle soup, boxes mac & cheese and packages of Jello—that he delights in scattering around the kitchen.

I have spent time watching him explore, filled with admiration for his developing problem-solving skills and jealous of his love of the world. Everything is new. Everything is shiny. Everything is filled with wonder.

When was the last time I marveled at a shiny can of chicken noodle soup? Or really enjoyed shaking a box of mac & cheese? Sure, these things are trivial. But the basic premise is that the world is fascinating. Why did the soup people decide to use this word instead of that? Who came up with the pop-top lid? How much R&D went into that decision? A simple can of soup really can tell a myriad of stories if you take time to think about them.

And that’s the kicker. Wonder doesn’t demand much. It doesn’t demand a lot of resources or special skills. It doesn’t even demand solidarity or exclusivity. It plays well with others and sits in the background while you multi-task. Its only ask is a little bit of whitespace and a little bit of time. It will bring the rest.

I am excited to learn about the possibilities of awaking wonder at our annual dinner at Tebala Event Center on September 15. Our keynote speaker, illusionist Harris III will dazzle the audience with some fun, and inspire you to jump into the possibilities of wonder in leadership.

I hope you are able to join us for the evening. But even if you can’t, I encourage you to think about the world of possibilities and wonder the next time you find a cabinet door magically, or even mistakenly, unlocked.