The Kaiju

Sometimes I wonder where Johnnie learns stuff. And then sometimes I know LOL. Today's new thing is kaiju. Yes that would be the Japanese word for giant beast, which I myself learned about in the movie Pacific Rim. Johnnie got introduced to the concept via EPIC books and the Wonder Family. They too were dealing with a kaiju problem. 2 Wonder Family books later, it's kaiju this and kaiju that. See, that's how it starts. And so i figured there wouldn't be any harm if I showed him the source movie. Yep, Johnnie and I watched Pacific Rim together. What's to worry about? Gigantic Japanese beasts tussling with equally gigantic robots piloted by 2 humans each, that can mentally drift... that is to be able to mind meld together. Harmless concept right? All I cared about was that it didn't scare him too much. I think we're ok there. But hey there was more things that happened today other than just learning about kaiju. Workwise for me there was the Leadership Summit. I used to enjoy these things when they were held at the FRB. The last time we had a virtual summit and it was just ok. Today, same thing.. it was a Zoom group meeting. And we had to do homework prior to as well. We had to do a personality strengths analysis. Funny though when I went to the website to do mine, it turned out I had already done it almost  1 1/2 years ago. Hmmm. I wonder what goaded me to do that?! Anyway that time, my biggest strength was kindness. And then Hope and then Humor. This time around when I took it, my top strength turned out to be Humor and then Leadership and then Hope. And then Kindness. Funny, maybe I was quite focused on kindness in 2019. After all, I had just started divorce proceedings and maybe I was focusing on my empathetic side. Today, I am focused a little more on being a leader. And helping people that way I think. Any way, today's Leadership summit was all about using your strengths to lead. I think I already have a handle on that in the workplace. Now how to figure out how to apply it outside of work as well. As in helping people find the best version of themselves. What a great purpose statement right? And so it was that I did the Leadership thing and soon as it was over, so was my day. Johnnie had been really, really patient that whole time although everyone saw him try to whisper something in my ear.

Anyway he had been trying to keep himself busy reading about kaiju and all. But I also reminded myself that he's all about doing things with me, same as he's all about doing things with Lisa when he's with her. THAT I think is why he's into roughhousing with me and hitting me and stuff. He simply wants to be close to me. I realized this when I showed a hint of disappointment at something he did. So inconsequential was it that I don't even remember what it was. But I remember that he said he wanted to go to his mom's house. Because he'd rather do that than see me disappointed in him. He actually said that. And my heart just dropped. THAT is an example of the very programming I did not wish him to pick up!!! And I did it. By focusing on disapproval instead of controlling my own state and getting him to do what i want him to do. He does much better with the carrot than the stick that's for sure. And at the end of it all, he'll do anything I say. Look at him doing the karate stuff off the trampoline. Just because I told him to. All the while when I was on the phone he kept checking in and showing me stuff. Showed me the turkey project he did for Ms Metz's Art class. Did drawings when I asked him to just to get him out of the way when I needed to do my meeting. And of course we had to do see-saw together. THAT is the key! All I have to do is tell him we get to do stuff together and he's all in! He doesn't even care what it is half the time. Which is why I ended up putting on the movie so we could watch it together. It was still pretty much the same old same old for a Wednesday. Class until 3 PM, Panda Express in Westwood for dinner. And this time I even ate dinner with him. See? I can learn too LOL. Anyway wasn't it just last week that he had the day off for Veteran's Day? I'm actually counting down because he and Lisa are on the way up to see Courtney in Los Gatos for the weekend and so I won't get to see him after tomorrow for a few days. And then comes Thanksgiving week. Who knows what Lisa has got planned?! Anyway that's next week. Today I felt good that Johnnie and I got to spend a nice day together pretty much even though I was on the phone half the day.  It was all good.