This evening Lauren and Jonathan went out to a concert in the next town, a symphonic performance with choir and orchestra. It was beautiful, and all three of us enjoyed it immensely.
It was the drive home, however, which held the most interest for me. In the darkness and the quiet as they were headed back, Lauren looked at Jonathan with some trepidation. “If I ask you a question,” she said, “will you be honest with me, and know that I am not just trying to push you into doing something you don’t want to do?”
Jonathan considered that for a moment. “Okay,” he said, “but that does sound kind of ominous.” He had an idea of what she was going to say.
“Why don’t you think you would do well as a member of the school board?”
He was quiet, grateful that he was driving and had a reason not to look at her. I believe she knew this, and had saved this conversation for the trip for that precise reason.
“Well,” he said finally, “at the risk of sounding like some idiot with mommy issues…I mean, you’ve met my mother.”
“Yes,” Lauren said, and the fervent tone of her voice made Jonathan chuckle.
“So you get it. She was always very involved everywhere she went, handled everything, had advice to offer—good or bad—and she made a huge impact. But me, I take after my dad. I sit back and listen; I go with the flow.” He shook his head, watching the yellow line drift on the side of the car. “School board is a leadership position, and—I don’t know, I’ve just never been in that kind of position before.”
Lauren took a moment to consider that. Then she said quietly, “Jonathan, just because you might not do things the way your mother would doesn’t mean they’re wrong. You’ve already made some changes around the shop that have been great for you.”
“That’s different,” he said. “Those decisions don’t have an impact on anyone but me. But the school board—everything is such a big deal when you’re a teenager. The whole course of a kid’s life might be decided by something that I did or said.”
This made Lauren smile. “That you’re aware of that only makes me more certain that you’d be perfect for the job,” she pointed out.
He sighed and shook his head.
“Besides, it’s not just you in there,” she went on. “It’s a board. You’re not running for president, for crying out loud. There would be good, experienced people to work with you. I just think you would be great at this.”
Through all of this I was whispering to Jonathan that he should listen and open himself to the truth in her words. I don’t know how much effect I had, but he smiled and offered Lauren his hand. “I’ll think about it,” he said. “Really, I will. And I’ll let you know what I decide.”
“Good,” she said. “Because I’m going to bring it up again.”
At this he rolled his eyes and muttered something about being beset by bossy women. This made her bat at him with her rolled-up program, and then they were both laughing.
It was a good conversation for several reasons. I am certain that Jonathan will think about the opportunity now, where before I know he didn’t consider it a possibility at all. I know that it was good for him to look into himself and learn what the source of his hesitation was. And it is certainly good news that he could share this with Lauren, that the openness between them is growing. I hope that all these good things will continue, and of course I will do whatever I can to make certain that they do.