In the food court of Concourse A at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, there is a guy who is really good at his job.

Not only does he keep the napkins stocked and the seating area tidy on the busiest of days, he will even approach travelers to clear their trash when they are finished with their meals instead of waiting for them to take care of it themselves. Pleasant but not overly friendly, he conducts himself with brisk efficiency. No energy is wasted or misdirected.

As a teenager, Claire Danes starred as Angela Chase in the short-lived American TV series My So-Called Life. She lives with her attentive parents and her sister in a nice house in a nice neighborhood; naturally, she eschews them and is drawn to the miserable kids with miserable family lives.

In one episode, Angela’s best friend, Rayanne Graff, gets dangerously intoxicated. Rayanne’s mother, previously established as cool and laid back compared to Angela’s very square, anxious mother, is dismissive: “You are too drunk, young lady. Way too drunk.”

One of my employees has been out sick with the coronavirus for six weeks, entirely unable to work during that time.

I’m happy to report that she’s feeling a bit better — she isn’t having breathing problems now — but her energy and focus are still a long way from allowing her to return at one hundred percent.

So in the meantime, I’ve been spending a few hours each day doing her job. And that’s been pretty satisfying, because I already know how to do her job. I feel productive, industrious, and competent, checking things off the list and watching stuff happen.

The weapon that can inflict the most pain, as we know, is words.

Even in a world where parents and teachers still hit kids, a remark can sting more deeply.

When a child’s primary motivation in life is to please the adults, to disappoint them is crushing.

Some adults make it difficult or impossible for kids to hit the mark — or to know whether they have. I hear it all the time: “I feel like I never do anything right. She’s always mad at me,” or “No matter what, she’ll still be disappointed.” Eventually, kids will give up on trying to figure out what elicits praise or disappointment, but the voice of the disapproving adult may become the voice in their head.