Monday, December 15, 2008

Pickles, the Color Pink, and Iran


On the way to church the other week, my seven-year-old informed me that one of their assignments that week was to write a list of things that they were afraid of.

"What did you write on your list, honey?" (I'm trying to add "honey" and "sweetie" to questions and orders lately because Chris tells me I sound too irascible when I speak to the children.)

He gazes out the window, deep in thought.

"I wrote pickles," he said.

"Oh, okay," I said. "What else?"

"The color pink," he continued.

"And Iran," he said matter-of-factly.

"Iran?" I asked, truly flabbergasted and honestly, pretty darn amused. "What did your teacher say when you told her you were afraid of Iran?"

"She didn't say anything," he said. That was surprising to me because I would surely have a lot of questions for a 7 year old who said he was afraid of Iran.

"She asked why I was afraid of pickles."

What a hell of a missed opportunity on her part. I guess that discussions about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the Middle Eastern country's strained relationship with the United States might be a little over the heads of second graders.

2 comments:

mishler clan said...

I am pretty sure I definitely would have asked my students about Iran. I would wonder where that came from???? My kiddos say things like chicken and pickles all the time and then crack themselves up...so I probably would have let that one go as in my experience they are just being silly. ;) I can see how you would be scared of a pickle though. They are strange looking...I do love pickles myself though.

Anonymous said...

I can just see Wesley pondering the question and coming up with his answers! Only Wesley knows exactly WHY he picked those things. Me...I hate clowns!!! and spiders!!!

Love you guys!!

Pat / Nana