The Gift of Not Knowing
Posted: Thursday, December 18, 2008
by Laura Lavigne
TreeHouse Coaching
My son Costa wrote a book. He was eight.
The book was originally a secret that he kept from me until the day he presented it at a Young Authors Conference. On that day, I sat misty eyed, along with everyone else present, as the book (dedicated to me, mind you) was read out loud.
The fact that it was named How Easily Love Can Be Found only hints at its sweet brilliance.
About a year later, Costa came home from school one winter afternoon and announced gently that he was ready to publish and sell his book. Right away.
Oh boy.
Halfway through making dinner and studying for a mid-term exam, I felt my heart tighten a little bit as I knew two things to be true:
1) Publishing and selling a book is no small task - even for an adult.
2) While he would never resort to nagging, neither would he give up.
It was only minutes later that he asked me if he could use my computer and that I reluctantly agreed.
He was going to look for a publisher.
Ouch, double-ouch.
As a mom, and like a lot of parents, I try to walk the thin line between supporting my kids and letting them experience lifes occasional bumps. To a point. The notion of letting my now nine-year-old little boy go through what I knew by experience to be a potentially devastatingly discouraging process was not a bit comfortable. I suspected that I would not be able to sit through this for very long. I began unconsciously holding my breath just a little.
As it turns out, I did not have to.
Within five minutes, Costa turned to me and asked: Mom, why do I need a publisher again?
To which I answered: Well, to get your book into a bookstore.
Truth is truth, right?
That is when he said: So, you are telling me that if I can get my book into a bookstore myself, I do not need a publisher?
I nodded.
Then I saw him get up and walk to the local phone book. I watched him dial a number and I very soon heard him ask for Patti, the owner of our lovely local bookstore (whom he has known since he was little).
For some reason I started breathing better just as I was trying to not eavesdrop - although not doing a great job of it.
There was no way not to hear, however, when his voice went up a few notches as he excitedly asked Really? Really, I can? How many?
He then hung up, looked at me and said: We need to get ten copies to her as soon as possible.
That was it.
No publisher. No heartache.
All this because he wanted to know. Because he wanted to understand.
While he did not dismiss my knowledge of the book-selling business, he needed to understand it for himself. To own it. And then, to explore other ways of doing it.
Which he did beautifully.
Within days, we had the books into the store and within hours, they were all sold. We spent the next few weeks keeping the bookstore stocked as the books flew out of the door, one sweet copy after the next.
That his words went to strangers and brought them joy seems like a very natural thing and I look forward to seeing more and more of it.
That he got to buy himself a digital camera from the profit of his book tickles my heart.
It is, however, his curiosity-infused solution-finding that I delight in sharing with you. His innocence, really. You see, because he did not know how hard it could be, he did not have filters in the way. And so, he just moved forward. Because I knew, I held my breath and I froze.
Big difference.
Where might you be holding your breath and preparing for a difficult time because you know that you know? And where might it be a good idea to forget for a while and really breathe your way into a different solution?
Sometimes, not knowing can be such a great blessing. Not knowing how hard things can be, not knowing how everyone else is doing it, not knowing how everyone else expects us to do it. Not knowing whats not possible.
I guess maybe thats a little bit what he meant by How Easily Love Can Be Found.
This Article has been viewed 974 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Laura,Excellent story. Your child's persistence and passion brought a positive outcome. What a bright boy he is and what a great coach he has in his mother. I hope he sells alot of books. I know from personal experience how hard that is. Thanks.Thank you so much for your words, James!Your son inspires those of us who dream of publishing our own works. As the Scriptures say, it's often "in the mouths of babes" that the most profound is found. What an adventure! It was all because the little guy did not know. I guess innocence, not ignorance, is the gift of which you write in this article. Thanks, Laura, for sharing this real-life story. ~mogama~
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.