Carterography Lesson

Over the years I haven’t had enough time one-on-one with my nephews and nieces. A while back it was fun to have some time with my nephew Carter. It was part of his annual trip “up north” with family.

It had been a busy week with some late nights. Even though tired, he was a good trooper and kept his smile. I intentionally included some down time where he could rest in the car and in the late afternoon at home.

We took him hiking on what he called a “professional” hiking trail. It had a few challenges beyond the flat paved trails many people use. He did great and stayed safe. On that particular trail, we also got to learn more about sandstone quarries. So it was educational too.




We had our picnic lunch at a different part of the park with a small waterfall and rock formations. Carter showed his servant heart by clearing the dirt out of a seating area in a rock near the river. The one photo is him standing in that spot.

Later we went to church where I know he saw some new things. When we left home at 5:30, there were some groans from the boys when I said church went until 9:00. But time went by pretty quickly. I had let him bring his GameBoy in if he got really bored. Because of some trips and other events, it was my son David’s first time there too. And he said it was “cool”. They both helped with putting chairs away afterwards.

On the way home from church, we swung over to Hudson for fireworks. We got to have some time with Renell, Caryn, cousin Anthony, and other friends. It was another long day for Carter. The next day we got to play a little football too in Wakanda Park, a place where I have some fond memories from years ago. In the car, David and Carter had a few hours of bonding with David helping him get further in his GameBoy game. And we played a little Pink Floyd music as well. They are one of Carter's favorite bands.

One thing I learned in the day and a half is that we have a wide variety of perspectives on the world and events. If we were to draw maps of our worlds, each of us would have very unique maps. Carter is smart and has an adult perspective on many things. But he is still a kid, or at least a much younger man than I.

One of the highlights of his trip he talked about the most was seeing a silver/gray fox at Grandpa and Grandma’s. And we walked by several potential dens and hiding places among the rocks. When we picnicked by a waterfall, my focus was mostly on the scenery and the sound of the water. For a kid, it was much more interesting to see two dragonflies stuck together. I’m not sure if the photo is G-rated or not. I don’t know much about dragonflies.



And I am sure his perspective on church was different from mine. But he did remember the message was about seeds. God has given us “seeds” of dreams and potential ministries and ways to impact the world for good. But seeds are useless until they are planted. We need to act on what we hear and actually plant the seeds. Back to our story…

Spending time with a younger child opened my eyes to some new perspectives. As I have recently had more time around couples with babies and toddlers, that has been a switch too. And I have occasion to be around people with very different world views.

Most people around the world tend to be attracted to and spend time with people similar to themselves. Sometimes it takes a conscious effort to be with people different from ourselves. That may mean people of another ethnic group, gender, income level, race, background, value system, marital status, geographical area, education level, age, worship style, or other factors. We don’t have to agree on everything. But sometimes we can learn a lot by just trying to gain some understanding and appreciation of the perspectives of others.

Perhaps it is time to spend a few hours with some people quite different from you. You will not only learn more about them. You may learn a few things about yourself as well. Have fun!