Uploaded February 2022 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
There were five kids in my blended family, growing up during the 1950s, and my stepfather was a genius at keeping all of us busy. As kids, we were allowed to play, but first, there was a myriad of chores and maintenance projects that kept us busy doing productive things. As you might imagine, we complained bitterly about the difficulty of our many tasks. He would listen, then respond with, “Boys, if it was easy, everyone would do it—but very few do!” We heard that often.
There were five kids in my blended family, growing up during the 1950s, and my stepfather was a genius at keeping all of us busy. As kids, we were allowed to play, but first, there was a myriad of chores and maintenance projects that kept us busy doing productive things. As you might imagine, we complained bitterly about the difficulty of our many tasks. He would listen, then respond with, “Boys, if it was easy, everyone would do it—but very few do!” We heard that often.
