In the right setting, perhaps not an office setting, a unique and lifting ice breaker question is, “What was one of your biggest misconceptions as a child?” This is perhaps the most engaging ice breaker question of them all. Never once has this ice breaker not brought a group closer, more appreciative of one another.
In the many years that I have been using this, I have heard countless adorable, endearing stories. Interestingly there are also some odd common childhood misconceptions. An example being the belief that all dogs are boys and cats are girls. I have heard this particular misconception from a diverse demographic of participants. The idea that our parents knew everything is such a common childhood misconception that I typically put that one on the table at the beginning, so folks get to share at a greater depth.
For me the all time best answer thus far, is the gentleman that thought the breasts of Olive in Popeye the Sailor man were made of spinach. Makes sense right? The only thing they ever seemed to eat on the show was spinach, that spinach has to go somewhere, and her breasts were clearly made of something. And, this shores up why this might not be the best ice breaker in a professional office setting.
One of the experiences that I share goes back to child me in first grade when we did math minutes, where one must answer as many math questions as possible in one minute. My misconception grew out of trying to understand why we were not allowed to count on our fingers. To this day, I count on my fingers. I finally realized that given that we were growing up in a farming community with farming equipment, many, actually most adults do not have all of their fingers. Accidents were prevalent before equipment safety standards were raised. I do appreciate having all ten digits as an adult, and sorry Ms. Mathis, I still count on them.
As I drove over three hours this afternoon to my hometown to kick off the planning of our 30-year high school reunion, I enjoyed a more than three-hour reflection on my childhood. My happy memories far, far outnumber the bad. I love the people that I grew up with. I have no idea why our teachers put up with us, but I am grateful for each and every one of them.
At some point in my drive, I began to reflect on what was perhaps my biggest misconception as a child. I believed that all parents were suited to be parents. Many of us did in fact have extraordinary parents. However, I was completely oblivious to the fact that some of my classmates went home each day to parents with substance abuse problems. Some of my classmates worked nearly full-time jobs to keep the lights on at home. Some of my classmates were living with adult responsibilities before high school even began.
Most everyone, would do things radically different if they knew as a child what they know now. I am certainly one of those people. When I reflect on my biggest misconception as a child, I find an even bigger appreciation for what my classmates have become, and I think even more about how much our teachers cared for us. Our teachers were NOT oblivious to all that was going on in our lives, and they did everything they could possibly do to steer us in the right direction.
I look forward to celebrating every member of the class of 1994, and I look forward to celebrating our teachers that helped us on our journeys.