I speak four-year-old. And thank goodness I do because otherwise a conversation could very well go astray…
Donny was coloring. Some of the lines on the paper were blurry since my copier had been acting up. Pointing at the fuzzy lines, Donny asked me “Why does this look like this?” I casually replied, “I had trouble with the copies.”
Eyes wide with wonder, Donny mulled over my statement for a moment. “You had trouble with the copies?”
“Yes I did.”
He continued, “Were they at your house?” WHAT? “Were they at your house?” He repeated. “No, my copier is here at school, not at my house.”
Donny pressed on. “Were they in the yard?” WHAT? “No, my copier is in the office, not in the yard.”
“Why were the copies in the office?” he asked. Clearly, Donny was confused. I was confused, too. This conversation was going round and round in circles…on its way to nowhere.
My mind started churning. What is he talking about? Think. Think like a four year old. Think literally.
Oh, wait a second… Copies, copies. Ahhhh…could it be? Could Donny possibly be thinking I am talking about COPS?!
“Donny, do you think I am talking about cops? Policemen?”
“Yes!” His face brightened. Translation successful. We were on the same page. We were speaking the same language.
Inwardly, I chuckled at the announcement which might have occurred in Donny’s home that evening… “The cops came to Miss Theresa’s school…”
Whew, thank goodness I speak four-year-old.