Why is it that we are the most honest and sincere when we are too young to know any different? Why not speak the truth as you know it without doctoring it up or spinning it into oblivion? There is something so basic about that, yet so not part of our repertoire as adults. Something gets lost in the translation between toddler-hood and adulthood for sure. Perhaps it is our innocence…
Last December we went on a highly coveted Santa train ride out in Cumberland County, Dillwyn, to be exact. Jiminy crickets! The tickets sell out in July, which in case you haven’t checked is six months before Christmas. That’s when we are all wearing tank tops and changing them several times a day because it is so ridiculously hot! Nevertheless, Sam loved each and every minute of being on that train ride. Recently I caught wind that the same train also operates in May, and I set out to investigate.
Then I decided before I would put any elbow grease into my investigation, I would first ask him if he had any interest in going back on the train at all. So one morning while he was still in his footy pajamas, I asked him if he wanted to take a ride on the train again. Without batting an eye, he responded, “Sam needs to get dressed first.” Then he started to walk towards the door with a purpose.
As you can see, I had not yet taught him the in’s and out’s of buying tickets through PayPal or Ticket Master. How refreshing it was, though. Of course, I felt awful for inadvertently getting him all psyched up to go on the train right away, only to tell him to cool it for six weeks, give or take a week depending upon availability.
I guess that’s part of growing up, realizing that people don’t always say exactly what they mean. In the meantime, bring on the unabashed honesty. It give me faith in the human nature with which we are born before adults have any input.
LibbY
Put out the fire.