Kids Say the Darndest Things

Art Linkletter used to have a television show where he’d put children in front of a camera and then ask them questions. The show was a great hit because the kid’s answers were always hilarious. Yoda said it best in “Star Wars: Attack of the Clones”.

Children really do say some of the darndest things. I loved the answers these kids would give Mr. Linkletter and often wondered how they came to their conclusions. One little boy when asked, “If you could be any animal, what would you be?” replied he would be an Octopus. When asked why, he said, “So I could grab all the bullies in my school and hit them with my testicles.”

We had our own version of this with my youngest son Noah. He was always saying something which would have us on the floor laughing. I remember one day he told his mother, “Thank God I’m not an Indian!” Alarmed at his racist remark and wondering where it came from, Cheryl asked him why. “Because they take their shirts off and lay on top of each other.” Confused at first, she then remembered we had all been watching “Dances with Wolves” the night before and Kevin Costner’s character did marry a girl and in the consummation scene they did take off their shirts and lay on top of each other. I still laugh every time I see this scene in the movie.

Raymond Reddington; played by James Spader in the remarkable television show “The Blacklist” said in this week’s episode,

Picasso said it took four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child. They live in a delightful space somewhere between dreams and reality. They taste color, hear shapes, see sounds. We should all have such special needs.”

This is a great way to describe children; they have this ability to not be bothered by the mundane things we adults are bogged down with. They awake to a newness of life every day and enter into it without any preconceived notions of what the day is going to hold. They do not worry about things like bills, where their next meal is going to come from or any of the things we as adults do. Probably the biggest thing they concern themselves with is what are they going to play with first.

Somewhere along the line however kids end up taking on the cares of this life. They begin to be burdened with things they should never have to endure. And I’m afraid it comes from the adults around them. We don’t encourage children to think outside of the box, instead we try to place them inside with us. We stifle creativity and try to replace it with productivity.

I’m reminded of another movie, “Uncle Buck”; in it Buck, played by funny man John Candy, has to meet with his niece Maisy’s Assistant Principle. He is told by Miss Hogarth that Maisy is a twiddler, a dreamer, a silly heart and she doesn’t take her academic career seriously. His reply is awesome, he says to her,

I know a good kid when I see one. Because they’re all good kids…until dried-out, brain-dead skags like you drag them down and convince them they’re no good.”

And this is what we as adults do to children; we try to convince them to live their lives like us; little adults instead of letting them be kids. Kids need to say the darndest things and we need to encourage them to be twiddlers, dreamers and silly hearts. I think it would make the world a better place if we did.

Where Are Your Dreams Taking You?

Some men are not satisfied with the status quo, or their place in the world. They feel as if they were meant for more; something on a much grander scale than just working for a living. These men tend to be readers, thinkers and dreamers; the type of  men other men are envious and jealous of. But what is it which sets these men apart from the rest?

Is there a gene in their DNA which other men do not possess? Or are they just lucky and therefore fate or divine providence has handed them the lion’s share while shortchanging others? I believe the answer is a definite no, but I also know there is something inside of these men which drive them forward where other men are scared or refuse to go.

The answer is faith. Now before you dismiss what I say as religious hooey balooey, hear me out. The definition of faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things you cannot see in the natural world. What are you hoping for? What is your evidence? When you dream, what is it you see? Do you even dream at all?

These men travel the path others won’t and they possess the ability to see themselves with the things they are dreaming of. They actively pursue those things in their minds before they ever see them in the natural.

I must admit, there are too many days where I sit in my recliner and go through the mind numbing ritual of watching television instead of reading to improve, or taking an online course to develop and learn a new skill. Unfortunately I’ve bought into the mindset of, “I worked hard today, I deserve this.” While I don’t believe watching television is wrong, I must ask myself why do I spend so much time doing this instead of reading?

Perhaps rather than just coming home from work each night and planting myself in my chair I should go for a walk and dream about those things which make my heart come alive. But what should I dream about doing you might ask? Anything and everything. What is something you would like to do? Start seeing yourself doing it. Let’s say you want to take bike trips around the country; begin seeing yourself in the places you want to visit. Don’t think about the cost, just imagine everything surrounding what you want to do and see yourself doing it.

Here’s the thing about dreaming; it doesn’t cost anything but your time and the sky’s the limit. Well unless you dream of being an astronaut, then I guess space would actually be the limit. Start with something you really want to do and imagine every aspect of what it would take to do it. Again, don’t think about the cost, just imagine everything you can about the activity. Dream big too, like they always say, go big or go home.

Be one of the men other men envy by living out your dreams. Start today, don’t wait. Dream it and you’ll end up doing it. Now you know what I think, what do you think?