I was leading a building tour of the Times Free Press the other day when a little Hispanic boy – maybe 6 years old – raised his hand timidly to ask a question.
At first, I didn’t understand what he was asking, a complication of his halting English and my 60-year-old ears.
Finally, though, it became clear to me what he was saying.
“How do you get fired here?” he said, barely above a whisper.
What an odd question, I thought, and I stammered something about how breaking the rules could be grounds for firing. Meanwhile, one of the adults, perhaps sensing my discomfort, seconded my explanation that rule-following is important for kids, too.