Category: advice

Sunday afternoon,

My sister, my hubby, and I are returning from our Sunday excursion when my husband suddenly reminds me, “Didn’t you say you wanted to buy a lottery ticket?”.

Of course, I did. Who doesn’t dream of winning just enough money to go on a month-long trip to South America, buy a house so they never have to pay rent, and swap their 9-5 office job with charity work, volunteering, a little farm in the suburbs, and a cottage by the sea? Well, that’s my dream.

So, we made a stop at the nearest bet shop (in Cyprus, you can’t buy a lottery ticket online, you can only get it from bet shops, which are mostly frequented by old men who stare at any woman walking through the door) and we got our tickets. Bet shops also sell scratch cards, which for Cypriot millennials hold a special place in our hearts.

Our parents used to buy us one from a street seller at the beach, at christenings, weddings, or pretty much any celebration, or on a Sunday afternoon, from a local kiosk, as a treat (as well as ice cream, of course, an Agrino cone most of the time). Beautiful, happy memories that evoked almost a melancholic nostalgia for my childhood innocence and carefreeness. So, we decided to get a couple of scratch cards as well.

My sweet husband, who didn’t grow up in Cyprus, had no idea what a scratch card was and what to do with it.

“You really don’t know how it works?” I exclaimed.

“No, we didn’t have this in Egypt!” he answered.

“YOU DIDN’T??” I replied.

I immediately assumed that everyone knows what a scratch card is, and it reminded me not only how powerful childhood memories are but also not to assume that just because I know or understand something well, everyone else does. That’s how misunderstandings happen, quite often, due to wrong assumptions.

That’s a useful reminder for everyone, particularly for trainers, teachers, managers, and anyone who imparts skills or knowledge to others. Don’t assume your students/trainees understand something just because you do. Always check their level of knowledge and ask questions so you can design your session based on their level, not yours.

Eleni