High Expectations and Real Responsibility

I recently visited Washington Island in Wisconsin, and one standout moment was taking the ferry all the way to the end of the peninsula, to Rock Island state park. A young teenage boy, maybe 13, directed the passengers in getting on the ferry and loading their camping gear, along with safety rules for the ride. He also drove the boat for most of the journey, alongside an adult who was presumably his dad. He was incredibly competent and no-nonsense, in a way that comes with years of practice and expertise in your field.

Along the way, a couple of adult passengers were so incredulous that this kid was in charge and driving the boat for our 15 minute journey. One woman in particular kept commenting that “He looks like he’s having way too much fun,” and “his face looks like he’s playing a video game!”

I couldn’t help but think, how sad that we complain all the time about how much kids and teens are focused on video games vs. living in the real world, yet here is this young person doing a very Real Thing! And this passenger’s only frame of reference is to compare it to a video game! As if he’s imitating video games when he drives a boat, not games simulating life or giving us a little thrill that we don’t always have the ability to experience in real life. She was probably in her 50s at least, and I’m guessing that when she was this young man’s age, she most likely had her own jobs and real responsibilities, such as babysitting. With all the complaints I hear from older generations that young people today don’t know the value of hard work, or

It was such a refreshing reminder that young people CAN and DO live up to high expectations, and can be very competent when there are real-world stakes and plenty of opportunity to practice.