As You Like It

In my classes, we often discuss “emergent leadership”--the tendency in groups with no official leader for someone to step up and lead. My more introverted students find that notion uncomfortable, even terrifying. But others, myself included, find intrigue in the idea that we can proactively get or keep a rudderless group on track. Because I am willing to lead, people often assume leadership is the only role I’m interested in. Which is not true. No, really, hear me out. I tend to lead groups because I have very strong preferences for how things should proceed, but if someone else can do the job according to my preferences, I am happy to take a secondary role. Hence, the problem. I have very strong preferences about virtually everything, from big things like politics to small things like toothpaste. And fruit. Orange is my favorite citrus, with lemon a close second, and I dislike lime. I don’t like plums, but love prunes. I prefer red apples, and want all other skinned fruit to be five minutes away from rotting before eating. And I don’t like cherry at all. These kinds of things might explain why no one else will try to lead a group I’m in, but they also came to mind when we read Gallimard Jeunesse and Pascale de Bourgoing’s Fruit. Scarlett loves strawberries, decided the seeds in kiwi look like ants, and was fascinated by the fig page, even though she’s never had one. I guess preferences run in the family.

http://www.amazon.com/Fruit-First-Discovery-Pascale-Bourgoing/dp/0590452339

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallimard_Jeunesse

http://www.paperbackswap.com/Pascale-De-Bourgoing/author/