Things I learned from my Dad part 1

By Doug Franklin June 8, 2009

When I was in 5th grade my Dad came to me in the spring and said, “You’re going to camp.”  Cool, I thought, I will love camp. Then my Dad said “You’re paying for half.”  Not so cool, I thought. But my dad knew something I didn’t; success in life comes at a cost. See, my Dad understood that experiential learning was the best kind of learning for me. He didn’t want me to know something from a book, he wanted me to know something from success or failure. Camp was a great place to experience success and failure. He ultimately wanted me to have success, but he also wanted me to pay a price for it.  This is how you teach a 12 year-old about values.

It funny thinking about this today, because most of the “20 somethings” I encounter want success but they are not willing to pay a price for it.  Somewhere in the past 30 years we stopped asking kids to pay a price for success and we just started giving it away.

I’m thankful my dad didn’t just give it to me.