Mentoring: Long List or Short List? - Frank P Zummo Jr.

If I asked you to name all of your favorite movie stars, would it be a long list or a short list?  If I asked you to name all of the people in your extended family, would it be a long list or a short list?  If I asked you to name all of your friends on Facebook, would it be a long list or a short list?  What if I asked you to list all of the mentors in your life, long list or short? For me, it’s a short list. 

A neighbor?  An Aunt or Uncle?  Maybe a teacher?  Someone who took you “under their wing” for a while?  Someone who cared enough about you to share their life experiences so you wouldn’t have to learn the hardway?  If you had someone like that in your life, I bet you remember them.  If you didn’t have anyone like that in your, life, I bet you wish you had.  Either way I bet the list is not real long. Why is that?  Are people too busy?  Are people too shy?  Are people afraid of getting too close?  Whatever the case, the mentor list is usually too short.

I remember growing up on Long Island in the 70’s.  My dad worked long hours to provide for us and wasn’t around as much as either of us would have liked.  One of the dads in the neighborhood was Lou Gilbert.  Mr. Gilbert (as I called him) was quite the bowler and he took me with him to his league days on Sunday afternoons for about a year.  He took me under his wing and taught me all of the ins and outs of bowling.  At the end of the year, I had received my first bowling trophy and a few months later, I bowled my career high of 246!  He wasn’t too busy, or too shy, or worried about getting too close!   He just wanted to share his passion!

What’s your passion?   If you’re a believer, I know what your passion should be!  Have you taken the time to share your passion with a younger believer or a non believer?  It’s not too late!  People are starving for mentors!  Ask your Heavenly Father to show you who to share your passion with!  He will.  Spend some time sharing what God has taught you on your journey.  It’s time to add to the list of mentors in people’s lives. 

Frank P. Zummo