The AZ Star Northwest’s “Amphi District Leadership Councils” and “a manicure” were places I learned about mentoring “leadership” this past week.

I hope you were able to read last week’s story “Scholar-Athletes branch out”. It talked about the much needed education of young people about life, character, and leadership.

Leadership has become a very rare commodity in our society. The need to help our future leaders to understand its importance is something we need to not only teach but role model.

I got a second lesson from sitting and watching my wife get her weekly “reward”. She uses her hands to sculpt teeth all week and then goes for an end of the week therapeutic “massage and manicure.” While performing her nail magic, Shanna, the manicurist, told us the story of how much mentoring and leadership meant in her life. She was working down by the U of A while also getting her education. “Wildcat Nails,” on the campus of U of A was her first place of business where she refining her skills.

Shanna then went to work in the Sun City area. “I learned more in the Sun City area in a couple of months than what I could learn in years back near the university” she explained. “Near the U of A, I earned money, honed my people skills and got an education in face to face business.

However it was what I learned from the mature citizens, around Sun City, that taught me about life…how to lead a life where education leads not only to a career but also to managing my money, to buy a home and prepare for the future.

Shanna said, “I don’t know if those women in Sun City realize how much they taught me and how much their “leadership/mentoring” meant to me.

For those who read this, maybe they now do.

Enjoy the Journey,
Bob

Bob Oro is a husband, parent, dentist and children’s advocate in Oro Valley

Excerpt: “Enjoy the Journey,” by Robert J. Oro