I Learned; He Learned

As you're reading this, my home is again "home" to another Amish runaway. He's young, inexperienced in many ways, eager to please, and a delight to foster. His name is Monroe.

I walked into my kitchen one morning just in time to see Monroe . . . removing my new metal skillet from the microwave.

"What'd you just do?" I asked, fearing his answer.

"Warmed up my sandwich," he innocently replied.

"Can't put metal in a microwave."

"Why?"

"You'll ruin it." 

I've learned that Amish are visual; they watch, learn, and copy behaviors. Watching me, Monroe probably thought it was acceptable to put anything in the microwave, push buttons, and hit "start."

I learned that I can't assume he knows how to respect and properly use this piece of equipment just by observation. So, I demonstrated what is safe to use and what to avoid when warming foods. Then I breathed a deep sign of relief that no sparks flew and nothing exploded or caught fire.

Days later, I plugged in my flat iron, turned it on high, propped it on the bathroom counter, and left the room.

Monroe went in to take a shower. Several minutes later he stormed out waving his hand. "That thing is hot!" he exclaimed with his Deutch accent.

"What'd you do?"

"Your thing fell over so I picked it up."

"At what end?"

"The long shiny end. I didn't know it was hot."

Oops, my bad. Guess he learned; sorry it took natural consequences to teach that plugged-in flat irons can hurt.

I continue to learn and so does Monroe. Stayed tuned for more lessons learned, stories, and experiences I will post in the coming months. See ya next week.  ~ Brenda

(c)Copyright 2013, Brenda Nixon.