On a flight to Florida, an educational psychologist was preparing notes for a parenting seminar he was to conduct at a major university.
An elderly woman, in the seat next to him, made small talk. Though very busy he didn’t want to be rude, so he asked why she had been in Boston. She explained she had been visiting her six children, 18 grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. Then the old woman inquired what he planned to do in Florida. He told her about the seminar and fully expected her to ask for free professional advice. Instead she sat back, picked up her needle work and said, “If there’s anything you need to know, don’t hesitate to ask.”