The Perks of Being A Fabric Cutter

One of the most unexpected parts of my job is the huge number of times I get to watch the interactions between parents and kids. You wouldn't think it, but my place of employment is full of kids--and to be honest--it's not exactly a kid's dream to spend his/her time walking through aisles of ribbon and thread. This leads to kids attempting to amuse themselves and those around them. All too often, these forms of amusement lead to threats and evil eyes by the parental units.

The other day I had a kid hiding behind my checkout counter and then he darted off to hide behind a big display of pottery stuff. Watching this kid try to get his parents' attention got me thinking. I often hear people make references to teenagers and kids alike that insinuate that kids and teenagers think drastically differently from adults. After 25 years of people watching, I must disagree. Although teenagers and kids may act differently than adults, I think the motives for actions never really change. This little kid wanted his parents' attention, so he played a one-sided game of hide-and-seek. Adults have the same, "Look at me! Look at me!" motive, they just display it differently. They tell stories about the cool things they've done ("The last game of the season, during the final seconds..., etc.) or they do nifty tricks, or they wear clothing that draws attention to the right places--whatever it takes to make sure they get the attention they want. I think I'll spend a large amount of the rest of the summer people watching for more proof of my theory...but I'm pretty sure I'm right.