When you ask an expert for advice take heed (pay attention)!

When I decided to improve the area by my sun porch I asked my father for his advice. He suggested I place a pond there and a rock garden. I thought that was a great idea since I had trouble growing grass in that area. I bought the white stones and the flowers as well as the pond. My dad said he would return later and arrange the materials. I was so excited to see the results I decided to do it myself.

When my dad returned he discovered that I had laid the stone, planted the flowers and edged out the bed in a straight line. He said, "Son, I told you I would be back to arrange it for you. Now, let me show you how it's done."  He told me that when designing a flower bed, rarely will you lay it out in a straight line. So he replanted the flowers and dug out the bed in a semi-circle. Next he asked me if I had large rocks laying around so he could place them as a border around the pond. My neighbor, who was building my deck, said he had stones left over from the recent paving job on his driveway. By the time my dad was done the area had the dramatic improvement I was hoping for.

I felt like Kwai Chang Kaine from the television series "Kung Fu" when he meets Master Po. Master Po is blind but an expert martial artist. After a few short lessons he asks Kwai Chang Kaine a series of questions: 

Master Po: Close your eyes, what do you hear?  

Kwai Chang Kaine: I hear the water, I hear the birds.

Master Po: Do you hear your own heartbeat? 

Kwai Chang Kaine: No 

Master Po: Do you hear the grasshopper that is at your feet. 

Kwai Chang Kaine: Old man, how is it that you hear these things? 

Master Po: Young man, how is it that you do not? (Trivia- This is how Kwai Chang Kaine got the nick name- Grasshopper.)

So I say to all of the Grasshoppers out there. Listen to the experts in your life. And then heed their advice!