Put yourself in my shoes

It is all too easy to think that your way of doing things is the right way. Or that someone else’s way is the wrong way. We all have our preferences and we all get used to “our way.” As marketers, might it make sense to really experience the life of our target audiences? Remember What Women Want? Mel Gibson tried on pantyhose and polished his nails so he could understand women. Maybe that’s too far to go, but…

I like my life. It’s structured the way I want it. My kids have rules and understand the expectations I have of them. On the weekends, we are looser and allow Gamecube and TV in, what we consider to be, reasonable amounts. But this past weekend, two of my nieces came to stay with us. For a variety of reasons, we took on their lifestyle for the weekend. It’s a challenge to change your lifestyle for any amount of time. But it was just a couple days, so no big deal. Right?

The girls’ family is Shomer Shabbat which is a term to describe one who observes the Shabbat (Sabbath) and follows the Jewish laws relevant to it. That means no electricity (unless it was on before sundown Friday), no writing, no driving, etc. until about an hour after sundown on Saturday. Without kids, it sounds luxurious — reading books, napping, talking. With kids (and no practice) it sounds like “Mom, I’m bored.” and “What can we do now?”

But we took it on out of respect for family. And what happened? We played board games. We read books. The kids talked to each other. They learned from each other. My guys talked to me about down time and unplugged time and really being with people. And though we are not changing our lifestyle, I do believe we have a tiny little better understanding of my nieces and their family’s life and the closeness it can create. A step closer. It’s nice.