Through the Ears of a Child by Bea Tifton

 Filling in for the lovely and talented Beth Trissel today. 

Through the eyes of a child.  I think there is something to be said for being childlike (not childish). Viewing the world with wonder and never losing that curiosity. But sometimes the eyes, and the ears, of a child can get a little confused.

When I was little, I would watch the early news with my mother.  News programs weren’t as graphic then as they are now.  

At one point, the newscast was about some guerrillas hiding in the hills of some exotic foreign country. For days, I listened to the news and wondered time and time again why they were upset about gorillas hiding in the hills, and then I became concerned about the fact that these particular gorillas were armed to the teeth.

We always watched the weather report. In the middle of winter, I was puzzled because the meteorologist always gave the windshield temperature. I finally figured out that of course, he was saying how cold your windshield would be that day. I’m not even sure how old I was when I realized it was called wind chill, and how that affected the weather. Older than I would probably care to admit.

As a small child, I absolutely loved to draw. I was so excited when the teacher would hand out that vanilla paper for us to draw. I knew why it was called vanilla paper; it was the color, of course. I still think vanilla paper is a better name than Manila paper.

Children are trying to figure out their world, and sometimes the explanations at which they arrive are, well, a little off. I was lucky to have parents who explained things to me no matter how often I asked, “Why,” which was a lot.

 

Are there any words you misunderstood as a child? Leave a comment below.

Pexels Photo Credits

Skitterphoto: "Girl Blowing Dandelion Flower"

Kevin Burnell: "A Gorilla in the Zoo"

Erik Mclean: "Heart Symbol on Windshield Covered with Frost"

RDNE Stock project: "Little Girl in Blue Sweater Holding Ice Cream Cone" 

Allan Mas: "Interested little boy exploring stone"