There I was sitting on my make-shift dock fishing.  (I had the good fortune last year of moving to an ugly house on a nice river.   It is a lazy, tidal river that feeds the Chesapeake Bay basin called the Nanticoke River known for its world class Rock fishing during spawning season in late-March into mid-April.)  The dock is actually an old sunken pontoon boat abandoned by my neighbor; I patched it up and put a deck on top of it… my dock points up river at high-tide and down river at low-tide.

My neighbors are not impressed.

So there I sat, trying to fish and relax while thinking of how to get a much younger peer to understand my vision of a Customer Service training/consulting proposal we were writing together when I got a text from my son Stephen (Visit my Newsletter Archives and Read: Generation Now:  Full of Energy and Creativity While Practicing Safe Text).  It said; “Whats up?”

My one word response: "Fishing!"  Came from my texting right hand while my left-hand, as if not knowing what my right hand was doing scratched my head in consternation and frustration at my young colleague daring to disagree with me on this proposal!

Stephen:  “Cool cool. would rather be doing that than studying”  (Remember; with texting they write in full sentences but like e.e. cummings, rarely do they capitalize.  First word always, but no others.)

I responded:  “Work hard and study now.  have fun later.”

Stephen:  “Any luck?”

Me:  “No! an eel keeps messing with my bait!”

Him:  “How do you know its an eel?  I am taking a break now.  been at it for three hours and starting to understand a little!”  (Calculus:  need I say more!?)

Father:  “Been at it for three hours too!  an eel just messes with your bait.  just tug tug tugs but doesn’t take the hook.  a rock or a cat would take it and run.  i am starting to understand a little too!”

(I love texting!  This is a more in depth conversation than I could ever have on a traditional call!  And here is the common sense lesson)

Son:  “Cool cool.  gonna extend my break to bedtime.  need some good sleep and look at it all again in the morning when i am fresh. love you pops!”

Father:  “Love you too!”

As I flipped the phone closed I realized how far from the tree the apple had fallen as I still had a blog to write; dinner dishes to clean; laundry to do; a suitcase to pack for my next speaking engagement, and a younger colleague to debate.   It would be another late night for the consummate procrastinator as I planned to pick up the phone and tug, tug, tug away at my young partner.

It was then that I realized, the son AND the student had surpassed the master; I decided to take my Generation Y partner’s suggestion and run with it; to let him take the lead on the proposal.  I guess I truly am starting to understand a little!?

Thirty minutes later I got another text.  “Dad.  go to bed!”