A New Way of Doing Things

Last week, my daughter spilled some rice while she was reheating leftovers, and I asked her to clean it up. My tool for kitchen spills has always been a wet wash cloth, which is boring, but effective. My daughter is fully aware of washcloths, but after being asked to pick up the rice, she leaves the kitchen and returns with our vacuum cleaner, and proceeds to begin vacuuming up the cooked rice kernels.

Set aside the issue that rice is a bit sticky and could probably stick to the inside of the vacuum cleaner and break it. Focus on the fact that her method is incredibly clever and creative. I would have never thought of use a vacuum to clean up rice, but you've got 1 step-- vacuum it up. With the wash cloth you've got to get it damp, wipe up the mess, maybe shake any pieces into the garbage, and hang it up to dry. Maybe we need food vacuums.

When someone tries to solve a problem differently than how you learned to do it, it's not necessary to stop them and correct them with 'your way' of doing things. Watch and see if someone's found a better way of solving a problem. Times are a-changing, and the old way might not be as effective as it used to be.

Be open, be humble, and don't forget there's no end to learning.