I have this cute two year old neighbor. No, she's not even two yet and that means she's way too innocent to be well acquainted with the ways of this world of ours, or so I suppose. The unique thing about this little sweetheart is her penchant for making friends. Nobody seems to be a stranger to her, and someone who really is, doesn't remain one for too long. Becoming friends with all and sundry has its pros and cons for grown-ups or so our parents would have us believe. But, a two year old could become the subject of such tension is something I am struggling to come to terms with.
The flashback: the baby made friends with some grown-up children in not so immediate neighborhood of hers, and as is the tendency with growing children, learnt quite a few antics - things that make quick impressions on innocent minds, among these were some really spectacular dance steps, that impressed me big-time - I am a Pappu who just can't dance yo see, ways of smiling that would instantaneously win your heart, some really unheard of songs and err... some four lettered words.
And that is where the problem began for the poor child. The so called offending vocabulary is being repeated as often as some of the other tricks that she slipped up her sleeves. Offending did I say? Yes, that's what I just can't come to terms with. How can anything coming from 2 year old be offending, be it a four letter word. The poor hing doesn't even know the meaning of what he's been repeating, in order to have just some fun, seeing your faces go red at the mere mention.
But we as grown-ups, seem to have forgotten how we grew-up. Maybe, most of us who frown at her words and try different ways and means to scare those words out of her memory, have forgotten that we too as children were as vulnerable to such things, used similar or rather same words. And if we didn't at that time, isn't it a shame that we regularly do so now, though our parents tried their best to inculcate the best of manners in us. Isn't it weird that we frequently abuse anyone and everyone we find needs a piece of our brain, without caring that its we who shape the society. It reflects what we do, because we are a part of it.
The poor child might learn soon, one way or the other that what she had been saying wasn't apt at her age (?), but just for a moment, sit down and try to think, wasn't it better that she learnt, what she did, sooner than later?
I for one, do think so... what about you?