I was in the dining room. It was a dark place with dark furniture, but I loved it. Aunt Frene and Uncle Red had a stone house on Ledbetter Drive. I loved to go there. They had rules. I didn’t mind. I just loved visiting that strange world of theirs, so different from my own. The furniture was different, the smells, the music on the phonograph. They had Phil Harris records. The Preacher and the Bear was my favorite. A visit was always an adventure to a new dimension.
Maybe I was four or five when the incident occurred. A lady entered the dining room. She was tall, stately, slim, dressed in clothes like some ladies wore to church. She asked me my name. “Allen” I replied. Her face was friendly but serious. “Ohhh! Allen!” she said. “That is a noble name. That is like the name of a prince. You are princely and noble” That is a line of code that abides. Even today, I know I am princely and noble. The important lady said so. She believed it. So do I, still.
We all lay down enduring code each time we interact with a child. Do you want a better world? Hone your kid coder skills. Even the briefest line of code can transform lives and societies. Intentionally or not, we code kids. This is the way of our species.
Also published on Medium.
