No lemonade here: Sycamore child opens a compliment stand

A heartwarming take on an activity baked into the fabric of American summertime culture can be found on select days in a Sycamore neighborhood.

Ethan Wargo, 9, set up what he calls a compliment stand for a couple of days this July, and he’s already had dozens of “customers.”

Instead of receiving a cup of lemonade or psychiatric help in the mode of Peanuts’ Lucy, Wargo gave out compliments. He said he was inspired by characters in a “Dogman” novel – a spin-off from the children’s “Captain Underpants” novel series – who operated an insult stand.

“I was like, ‘Hey, something seems fishy about that. I think I can make a stand out of that. No, no, no, not an insult stand, maybe a compliment stand,’” Wargo said.

Wargo isn’t alone in the roadside stand business in his neighborhood. His twin sister, Claire Wargo, has been his biggest competitor and help this summer. She operated her own stand selling her artwork.

“I thought it was a good way to show people how I do my art, and honestly, it was just fun making them,” Claire said. “I like to draw animals a lot, but I’m not very good at drawing humans.”

One of Ethan Wargo’s customers has stopped by the stand four times, he said. Although the service is free, he’s still making a small profit from the activity thanks to generous tippers.

His main focus this summer has been to relax and have fun, but he and his sister set a goal they’ve already managed to reach: After numerous days of working their roadside stands, they saved enough money to purchase a mini fridge.

“We just ordered it this morning,” Ethan said. “We paid it off. And then it was pretty big, and it was pretty cool. It had like those LED lights you see inside a mini fridge, and it had one of those clear doors. And you could literally control the temperature.”

Brandon Wargo, Ethan’s father, said his children set up the stands on their own accord.

“I was like, ‘This is super cute,’” Brandon Wargo said. “Them setting up wasn’t new, just this was a very unique idea. It’s kind of heartwarming, that’s kind of why I think it took off. Everybody was just like, ‘We’re all divided right now.’ This was a feel-good moment.”

Asked what he thinks of his children, Brandon Wargo said he’s sought to teach them how to understand their emotions as well as the emotions of other people.

“Something that we always try to teach is emotional intelligence, and it’s great to see that that’s coming through,” Brandon Wargo said. “Obviously, book learning, being book smart, is important, but being able to handle your own emotions and deal with other people is what drives success in life, I believe.”

Ethan echoed his father’s sentiments about communication skills.

“No matter what, you can have a good life, but if you want people to like you and you want to have an even better life, ... you have to have good social knowledge,” Ethan Wargo said.