Saw a Spokane gentleman I've known since 1988 yesterday.

We did not visit for long. But I was pleased that he seems to be doing well.

One thing I forgot, though. I neglected to ask if he still says "Good job, Jason!"

Years ago, that had become a thing in his family. It was, quite pointedly, a commentary on the tendency to enthusiastically applaud even the most inept athletic performances of children. You know, the "You're all winners!" mindset.

In his view, the self-esteem movement was out of control. He felt there is a difference between being supportive/encouraging and acting as if the kid finishing 43rd out of 45 runners had accomplished something special.

Oh, he wanted children to feel good about themselves. But in his estimation, there had to be an element of earning it in the equation.

My friend is not a big fan of participation trophies.

So anyway, when someone in his family dropped a dish, spilled a drink or whatever, he would note the mishap with "Good job, Jason!"

That name was chosen because of his belief that nine out of 10 little boys of that era had names that started with a J.

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