LIFE LESSON FROM A GEEK'S SON PART 4.5: CARDBOARD SHOWS THAT THE STUDENT HAS BECOME THE MASTER

If you have a son, go get Cardboard by Doug TenNapel right now. (Well not right now. First finish reading this. Write a glowing comment. Tell all of your friends. Then upvote me until I’m a millionaire… or at least get .08).

My 11 year old son has been instrumental in the first installments of Geek Life Lessons. Not only is he an inspiration and main character in some of them, he has helped me with “research”. He has reminded me of events in Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Yesterday, he even suggested I write about Luna Lovegood. Yesterday morning, he took it a step further. He came up to me and said, “Dad I have a book you might like. Maybe you can write about it”. He handed me a graphic novel called “Cardboard” by Doug TenNapel. I’d never even heard of the book. He told me he bought it with my wife at the local bookstore and it was “REALLY GOOD”. I told him I’d read it and he went back to reading book 3 of the Hunger Games (I’ve warned him I really hate a part of that book. Can’ wait till he gets there so we can vent together).

So I read it. Today the first thing he asked was “Did you read it?” I told him I had, it was awesome and I’d write about it. He was relieved and said “I knew you’d like it but I was thinking you’d say it wasn’t right for your blog”. He was so wrong.

But this one will be a bit of a challenge. The other stories involved well known books and movies. I couldn’t really spoil anything. But this one I can. But don’t worry, I won’t.

Cardboard is a story of love between a widowed father and his son. The father is out of work and is trying his best to find honest work to help him and his son. The story begins on his son’s birthday. Of course he has no money for a present. He doesn’t even have money for dinner. But he doesn’t want to go home empty handed. He stops at a knock off toy stand in an alley. Everything there is too expensive… except for an empty cardboard box. It’s the best he can do and he and his son are creative so he goes for it. Oh and the cardboard is magical. But of course there are rules (think Gremlins). This is as far as I can go without spoiling the story, but believe me it’s great. And it’s full of lessons to teach a boy… or for a boy to teach his dad.

It seems a cardboard box can be an awesome present… if you get to build something out of it with your dad. Your dad can even use the building process for an allegory on life “How’d you expect things to get done? If we want a cardboard man, we gotta build it!” (My son showed actually pointed out this example illustrating the merit of hard work.) Without revealing too much I can tell you there are lessons on bullying, education, standing up for your family, loneliness, having the strength to carry on after a loss, responsibility, compassion, forgiveness, loyalty, perseverance, honesty and second chances.

All of those are wonderful lessons, but none are as important as the one my son taught me. He taught me that I have been underestimating him. I have been laying out these examples as concretely as possible to make sure he wouldn’t miss them. He’s not missing them. In fact, he’s way ahead of me. He knows how to spot virtues in people (and cardboard). He knows how to find role models. He knows what his mom and I are trying to do. This doesn't mean he's perfect. He's going to make mistakes like all of us. But at least I know he is headed down the right path.

If you liked this one, please check out the rest of the series.

https://steemit.com/harrypotter/@hanshotfirst/life-lessons-from-a-geek-part-one-harry-potter-s-friend-the-epitome-of-courage

https://steemit.com/parenting/@hanshotfirst/my-daughter-s-neville-longbottom-moment-of-the-day

https://steemit.com/parenting/@hanshotfirst/life-lessons-from-a-geek-part-2-samwise-gamgee-the-epitome-of-loyalty-and-friendship

https://steemit.com/parenting/@hanshotfirst/life-lessons-from-a-geek-part-3-harry-potter-and-parenting

https://steemit.com/parenting/@hanshotfirst/life-lesson-from-a-geek-part-4-harry-potter-being-yourself-and-attitude-is-everything