Day 4 - Training Day

As many of you know I am back at my old job.  I worked for this company for approximately 8 years and now I'm back as a contractor working on the same products I used to but in a different capacity.  When I was laid off in 2006 I didn't think I'd be back but when the opportunity presented itself I jumped at the chance.  I've been back since November and it is nice to have a little more money than I usually did before.  This week is a short week because of the holiday and it has been a little hectic to be honest.  Yesterday, though, I had the pleasure of meeting two older gentleman who have come into my group to work.  I have been tasked with training them and I am very thankful that the management has enough confidence in me to do this job.  In the back of my mind it is something I have always wanted to do. I like instructing people and sharing the knowledge I have with them.  In all this training I am also being trained.  I'm being trained on what works and what doesn't work.  I'm learning what the proper words and phrases are that get the best out of the people I train.  I'm testing techniques on how best to teach people by using different teaching styles with them.  I utilize their auditory learning by speaking to them and talking them through each step I take on an order while at the same time their visual learning is stimulated by watching those exact steps.  I am also letting them jump in and get some hands on training which in my opinion is best.  Aside from learning these things I'm learning about personalities. I'm learning that people are very different in their approaches to life but that there are many similarities in us as human beings. Did I not know this before?  Yes, of course, but it has been renewed in my mind again.  When I meet people and I hear their experiences I feel more of a connection with the world around me.  I live an experience they have talked to me about. Sometimes the things people say make my mind wander to that place they speak about.  I thank God for opportunities to make an impact in some one's life.  I also thank God for these men who are older and who have so much still to give to the world.  They are men in my father's age range and there is a measure of respect I have for them because of their age and experience.  I wondered if that was being lost to the younger generations but tonight at church a young twenty something man spoke to me with kindness and respect.  He always greets me with a smile and a handshake and sometimes even a big hug.  This young man proves to me on at least a weekly basis that there is still hope for the next generation.  There are still people who are respectful and people who know how to treat others.  As this young man is to me I pray that I can be the same to the gentlemen I'm training.  Osiel inspires me to be better and he's one of the reasons I decided to give up TV and Facebook for a year. He works with my children and I'm so grateful that he's their youth pastor at SRC.  He's so patient with my son who has Autism and he looks past the idiosyncrasies and the difficulties and just shows love to my son and ministers to him.  I'm indebted to him for all he does for our kids.  Thank God for sending him to us and using him to bless us.  His cousin Micah is the exact same way. I'm not surprised they come from the same family. The respect they show and the kindness they exhibit gives me cause to celebrate and to be thankful.  I have two boys and if they can be half the young men these guys are they will be well off in life.  Today was training day, and I learned a lot from 2 great generations.  Thanks for the lessons guys!