I’m writing this as part of what I do for our January/February 2018 issue—while in the back of my head I wrestle with a big personal question: What Christmas gifts should I buy for the family? You will have answered that question on the other side of the holidays by the time you read this but remember, the next Christmas and Hanukkah will be here before you know it.

Plan ahead.

Suitable presents are a growing issue for me as our gaggle of grandchildren grows. We now have five and No. 6 appears to be well on his way to a scheduled February arrival. And could a seventh or eighth be in the planning stages? Well, that’s none of my business at this point.

So how can I make my holiday gift giving even more worthwhile? It would be great if the younger generation had some appreciation for what I and my friends in the energy business do. I want them to appreciate the oil and gas industry’s role in supporting the way we live. Ask a typical third-grader where electricity comes from and he or she—after a blank look—is likely to reply, “From a switch on the wall.”

Wrong. They need to know what happens behind that switch, or what makes milk jugs, or how furnaces keep houses warm on cold winter nights.

Perhaps there are midstream-related presents suitable for children? Take my 7-year-old grandson, who is quite the fan of computer games. Is there a midstream-related computer game available?

It turns out that yes, there is such a game. A little web surfing turns up a title called “Thunderbird Strike.” At first glance it looks like just the thing. It incorporates facets of nature, history and pipelines—wholesome stuff I’d like my little buddy to know more about.

The website invites players to “fly from the Tar Sands to the Great Lakes as a thunderbird protecting Turtle Island with searing lightning against the snake that threatens to swallow the lands and waters whole.”

Snakes! That sounds a little strange, what’s this about snakes? Further surfing around the website finds these “snakes” are evil pipelines—like Enbridge’s Line 5, Dakota Access and Keystone XL—monsters that destroy the countryside and threaten the planet. Players, posing as that mighty thunderbird, hurl powerful lightning from the sky to pulverize trucks, pipelines and other infrastructure.

That’s pretty deep stuff for a first-grader to mull and, frankly, conflicts with my view of the role of safely built and operated pipelines. Could there be other gift options?

A little more web surfing turns up something else my grandson enjoys when he puts down his PlayStation control: comic books. Actually, a comic book-style magazine, Jobsite Juniors, was recently started by our friends over at Benjamin Media Inc. The first issue went in the mail in late 2017 and the cover encourages parents to “Educate your child about the world of construction with a magazine dedicated to the machines and people that make up the industry.”

The first issue isn’t strictly about the midstream but it has plenty about what goes into building pipelines or other energy-related projects. One article explains the use of horizontal directional drills. Then there’s a story, “Dozing Off,” about a little boy named Ethan who sleeps with his model bulldozer and dreams of building things when he grows up. Think “Bob the Builder” in print. Another page explains why construction workers wear safety equipment.

Overall, this is more what I’d like for my 7-year-old to tear into: How are things built? How can we make things better? How can we protect the environment and make energy usage more efficient? Would there be a good career for me in the industry?

More than just the subject of which gifts to give, the market for toys and games related to the midstream and the broader energy industry provides a lot to think about. We’re not just toying around with the next generation.

Separately, we start 2018 with a new feature. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is contributing to our Finance Matters column with a special review of the capital markets. Also, the NYSE’s Tara Dziedzic, senior director of capital markets and head of business development, will be among the great lineup of speakers at our annual Marcellus Utica Midstream conference, set for Jan. 30-Feb. 1 in Pittsburgh. I hope you will be able to attend.

Paul Hart can be reached at pdhart@hartenergy.com or 713-260-6427.

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