As part of my mission to expand dialogue between generations, I’d like to share a letter I recently received from a colleague. This inspiring letter serves to illustrate the value of connection and the impact a grandparent can have on their grandchild. The letter, written as a college entrance essay speaks volumes and is an example of how relationships can evolve over time. The admissions office loved it.
Clearing Clouds of Plaster Dust
I grew up on the Maine coast down the street from my grandmother, a strong, independent global traveler, photographer and entrepreneur. We began our uniquely collaborative relationship spending every Saturday together while my mother was at work.
From the beginning we shared an extraordinary sense of fun and adventure. Our stories, which grew out of a cloud of plaster dust, are a constant source of inspiration for me. Too numerous to include all of them here, I’ll highlight three that illustrate how this “digital native” and his DIY grandmother combine resources to make life a “work of art.”
At age two, I had a front row seat, my high chair, to our first project together. The goal was to improve the flow of heat to the kitchen. The tool, a circular saw, soon proved itself too powerful – even for her.
With her first cut into the drywall my grandmother and I were engulfed in a cloud of thick dust. After the initial shock, we both burst into laughter. Her laughter had stopped my fear that the house might be falling down around us. Her curiosity and DIY eagerness to learn were contagious and, even then, I realized life with my grandmother was going to be an adventure.
At age three, out of my high chair and on my feet, I worked along side my grandmother as she was painting her house. While intent on the job at hand, she could also feel my eagerness to jump in and help.
She gave me a huge piece of paper, brushes, paints and space to work on a wall of my own. Working with reckless abandon, my results would later become a framed work of art hanging above the couch in my grandmother’s living room. For years, the story shared with friends and family across the dinner table would tell of all the frame shop’s visitors’ inquiries as to the identity remarkable artist. No one could believe it was the work of a 3 year-old.
As I grew older, I learned to share my grandmother’s passion for photography. Together, we’re always looking for different angles and new perspectives. My grandmother had traveled the world taking slides with a traditional SRL camera but, as digital photography became more sophisticated, she wanted to try it. It seemed only natural for us to learn together.
She taught me how to use the camera, and I taught her how to upload and edit the photos on a computer. One of our most spectacular results occurred when I was twelve years old and my grandmother took me to the National Air and Space Museum to see a special display of award-winning photographs of the planets.
I took a picture of the photograph of Saturn, and after uploading it, I saw myself reflected in the glass. This new perspective put me in an unusual position, centered between art, space and technology. We realized it was a perfect metaphor for my life.
The photograph, combining all these different aspects I love, created a virtual reality. It depicted that I could – by applying the do-it-yourself entrepreneurial spirit learned at my grandmother’s side and my ever-expanding technology skills – make my life a work of art.
At seventeen years old now, I see the dust settling from our very first project together but the lessons will only continue to grow and expand as I eagerly approach studying computer science in college. As she would say, I have all the curiosity I need to succeed.
– Aaron Isele, age 17
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In a time of increasing interpersonal disconnect, we need to hear more stories like this. Your own comments, experience, and stories can serve as inspiration to others. Do you have a similar story to share with me? -Jeff
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