A child is a wondrous thing.
Dana Bate
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Hello Linda
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On my journey Friday the 13th along the ledges of the Universe I went through a door of peace into a friend's shop. Among the shopkeeper's customers were a father and two small children. He handed the shopkeeper two dollars and asked for quarters, which she smilingly gave him. He then gave them to his children so they could buy their sodas from the soft drink machine. The little girl was so small she could hardly reach the slot. Her slightly taller brother helped her while their father watched. When one of the quarters fell into the coin return her brother took it out and gave it back to her. The innocent determination and concentration on that little girl's face was a delight to see. She finally got her Pepsi.
The scene next door to me is one of Nature's sinister sporting events. My neighbors are a man, woman and child. The woman is the mother of the little girl. The man is not her father. The couple fight often, very loudly and with the worst language. When they do I can sometimes hear the little girl shouting "No. No." When the child does something one of them doesn't like and tries to discipline her the other adult takes the girl's side thus bringing on another fight. She is continually being flung back and forth across the family line like a volley ball. She's a lively, energetic child who talks a lot. But I think she speaks her own invented language because whenever I can hear her clearly I don't understand what she's saying. I wonder about her future.
Entering the Temple of Revealed Wisdom I came down the steps into the local library one day when I still had my cane. I got about 4 steps from the bottom when a very small girl approached the stairs to go up. When she saw me she stepped back to let me come down. I stopped, pulled over to the side and said "Come on." She ran up the steps and as she passed me she said in the tiniest little voice "Thank you." The library attended, who was sitting across from me, saw the whole encounter and was smiling. I walked over to her and said "If that's the future of America we've got nothing to worry about."
Unfortunately, maybe it isn't.
Dana Bate - Vagabond Journeys
Never Give Up
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4 comments:
A sensitive and moving post, DB. Indeed we mustn't sell the little ones short. They can be a great People. They want to be.
Innocence, it is horrible when it is lost so young.
A wonderful, touching read DB....if all the people would remember when they were little and so caring and loving, the world would surely be a better place today.
Touching scenes all of them. I've seen them like that too. Parenting is is a big responsibility and whether people realize it or not a child is going to learn to do and be what they see. Thankfully most of what I see is the good side. Loving and understanding parents do make a difference.
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