"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

1/12/10

Daily Life, 3

Today's gem...

Helping kids get on their mittens and such, in Grade One, between 7:40--8AM (when they have outside recess, before school begins)...

Bridgit*: You know, my brother and I have different daddies.
Me: Really. That happens sometimes.
Bridgit*: Well, see, my mom, she has three husbands.
Me: Gosh, I hope, not all at the same time.
Bridgit* (giggling): No, of course not, silly. My mom had to say goodbye to the first husband
because he was seeing too many other ladies. My brother's daddy is her second
husband, and my daddy is her third one.
Me: Hmm. Sounds complicated.
Bridgit*: (With a big sigh) It is.

Then she smiled and skipped outside to play at recess.

Whew. I am astounded and saddened by the level of wordly knowledge and details these kids take as a matter of course. They're resilient, yes---but what in the world are we thinking, as a society, when this kind of knowledge is commonplace?



*Bridgit is, of course, not her real name.

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