The Primary Gravitational Pull
When I was first called to be the Primary President, a friend from another Stake who had held the calling a few times in her life asked if I knew about the secret. A confused look from me confirmed that I had no clue what she was on about, And so she explained a well-known phenomenon witnessed amongst those with this precious calling that I will share with you.
The secret is, that as soon as you are set apart in this calling all children will be attracted to you.
I, of course, laughed when she told me this, but she insisted that this was serious and if I remember correctly she said something along the lines of:
For people like me, the gravitational pull that seems to attract children to you isn't so well noticed, because of the way that I automatically get on with children. I know I joke that I secretly hate children but I really love holding their pudgy hands and being gifted stones, drawings and stories they have saved especially to share with me.
The pull is there, however.
Top Ender and I were in a Tesco Metro the other day, when a young lad (about 8 years old) using a self-service till had a bit of an issue. He looked around and instead of asking one of the friendly staff, he pulled on my top to get my attention and explained the issue. I helped him as best I could, before attracting the attention of a store employee to help.
When Dan Jon and I walk to School, we quite often see students who will call out to me, their parents questioning who I am as they have no clue who this grown-up they know is. I smile and wave and listen to stories of new siblings, new pencil cases, ideas, tales of woe or whatever it is that they want to tell me.
If I sit in a cafe and have children waddle over and sit at my table with me. Engaging me in conversation that only they understand, whilst I make the right noises and assure their parents that their children aren't bothering me.
If I go to the library to get out books with the children and before I know it, I'm sitting on the floor reading a storybook to strangers children.
If I'm in the queue in the Supermarket and Babies in prams start making eyes at me and having a chat.
And I love it.
I love that I'm seen as safe by children. That they see me and think there's a friend, someone who will listen and help or play a game or two with me.
Yes, you could say that this is nothing to do with the Primary calling, but I know deep down inside that it is, that when I'm released (hopefully in the very distant future) that some of my magic will fade away.
Sure, some children will still be attracted towards me, because I'm a child magnet, but no longer will I bustle down the Primary corridor with children trailing after me Pied Piper style and that makes me a little sad.
The secret is, that as soon as you are set apart in this calling all children will be attracted to you.
I, of course, laughed when she told me this, but she insisted that this was serious and if I remember correctly she said something along the lines of:
"It's like someone turns on your child gravitational pull."
For people like me, the gravitational pull that seems to attract children to you isn't so well noticed, because of the way that I automatically get on with children. I know I joke that I secretly hate children but I really love holding their pudgy hands and being gifted stones, drawings and stories they have saved especially to share with me.
The pull is there, however.
Top Ender and I were in a Tesco Metro the other day, when a young lad (about 8 years old) using a self-service till had a bit of an issue. He looked around and instead of asking one of the friendly staff, he pulled on my top to get my attention and explained the issue. I helped him as best I could, before attracting the attention of a store employee to help.
When Dan Jon and I walk to School, we quite often see students who will call out to me, their parents questioning who I am as they have no clue who this grown-up they know is. I smile and wave and listen to stories of new siblings, new pencil cases, ideas, tales of woe or whatever it is that they want to tell me.
If I sit in a cafe and have children waddle over and sit at my table with me. Engaging me in conversation that only they understand, whilst I make the right noises and assure their parents that their children aren't bothering me.
If I go to the library to get out books with the children and before I know it, I'm sitting on the floor reading a storybook to strangers children.
If I'm in the queue in the Supermarket and Babies in prams start making eyes at me and having a chat.
And I love it.
I love that I'm seen as safe by children. That they see me and think there's a friend, someone who will listen and help or play a game or two with me.
Yes, you could say that this is nothing to do with the Primary calling, but I know deep down inside that it is, that when I'm released (hopefully in the very distant future) that some of my magic will fade away.
Sure, some children will still be attracted towards me, because I'm a child magnet, but no longer will I bustle down the Primary corridor with children trailing after me Pied Piper style and that makes me a little sad.
