"The free play of art is the result of mastery. " --Ernst Fischer, The Necessity of Art

"Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them." --Ladybird Johnson

"...a well-trained ear, a well-trained intelligence, a well-trained heart, and a well-trained hand...." --Zoltan Kodaly

11/24/10

Daily Life, 92

Yesterday, I dropped by the cafeteria to talk with  C, our great Afterschool program director.  She was, as usual, hanging out with kids--in this case, a smart & savvy 5th grader.

C       Jack*, why are you sniffing that bowl?

Jack*    It smells like chicken broth.

C       It is.

Jack*    That would be why it smells that way, then.

C     You're very alert for 3 o'clock in the afternoon, Jack.

Jack    What's  'alert'?

Me    It's a good thing.   It means you're awake and aware of what's going on around you.

Jack*     Oh.   Why didn't you just say that?

Me      Wait, don't you like new words?

C  (chuckling)    Yesterday,  I called him a cantankerous cuss.

Jack*    That was because I didn't want to do one single thing that anyone else wanted to do.

Me      Hmm.   Yep, that sounds pretty curmudgeonly to me!

Jack*   (yanking on his hair and laughing)   You guys!  Wouldja stop calling me words that I have to go look up in the dictionary??   (...followed by laughter all  around...)


*Jack, of course, is not this good-natured kid's real name. ....and he's not, actually, a  curmudgeonly, cantanerous cuss--he's a great kid.  :-) 

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