KerryOn: Chunky Chalk

It's that time of year; indoor paper and pencils become replaced by outdoor cement and big, chunky pieces of chalk. The schoolyear has finally ended and as the final bell rings, kids are released into the freedom of summer. My kids especially enjoyed these final days. I remember afternoons when they would run up the driveway, kick off shoes, dump their backpacks, and immediately grab the chunky chalk. They would spend hours coloring caricatures and objects on anything and everything outside: garage floors, scrap lumber, patio pavers, etc. Mostly, the colored powder would cover their hands, legs, and faces leaving them looking like blurry rainbows.

I always enjoyed these final days of school. The excitement that builds toward the last day has a certain type of energy. A mixture of there is a lot to get done, choose wisely and it’s almost over, let’s sit down and color! This dichotomy of ideas offers a simple concept: Freedom.

I’ve come to realize, after many summers as a kid, and as a parent, it’s easy to get to Labor Day and not feel like the “to-do” list was completed. There will always be more items to complete, and more tasks ahead of us. So, it’s important to remember that we are the leaders of our life, of our moments. We have the opportunity to have chunky chalk moments anytime we wish. We have the freedom to select what items come first (or if at all). Summers (and life) pass by quickly. Take a moment and create space to acknowledge it. I recently did this as my husband and I walked with our high school senior into our final sports banquet. I stopped both of them in front of the elementary chalk drawings on the sidewalk. “This is our last one, we’ve come a long way” I said, as I looked down at the colorful powdered messages. I smiled, gave their hands a squeeze, and we walked into the school.

We can also create new chunky chalk experiences that help us continue to grow. We have the freedom to draw whenever, whatever we want. However, the only way we can truly expand our freedom is to get away from our comfort zone. We have to color outside the lines in spaces we may have never encountered.

I have my chunky chalk in one hand and a pebble in the other. I have the freedom to draw my hopscotch board anyway I want and send my pebble anywhere I want it to go. All I have to remember; choose wisely and take time some time to sit down and color every once in a while.

Special Note: Living in the country provides limited cement. This picture, taken in 2011, shows how ingenious the kids were with chalk drawings. They would find anything to color on, even sawhorses!

KerryOn Questions

- Can you identify the chunky chalk moments in your life?

- How can you create additional chunky chalk moments?

- What are the ways you can draw outside your comfort zone?

The Kerry behind KerryOn

My name is Kerry K. Fierke, Ed.D. (pron. Fear-Key) I have a unique combination of skills and experience – decades of fast-paced corporate experience in Fortune 100 companies and large health care organizations, combined with the academic rigor of a highly ranked research university. My focus is supporting others to create their own path to leadership development, lifelong learning, and a unique leadership legacy. Take a moment to focus on leadership, then KerryOn!

To see all KerryOn's and other leadership stuff, visit www.kerrykfierke.com.