Are You A Pussy Or A Child?
August 22, 2009 
9 Comments
Yesterday when I arrived at the security line at LAX, it looked like the opening of a Harry Potter movie. I was thinking to myself, “Why did I fly United again?!” Then I remembered, “Oh yeah . . . it was the only direct flight.”
So because our flight time was getting close, we of course had to be pulled from the line to go through security (along with some others whose flights were also coming up soon). We were on the 11:45 flight.
Of course one woman whose flight was at 11:34, barreled past me breaking Sonja and I up. This other woman says, “Wait! I’m on the 11:24 flight!” and wanted to go ahead of the 11:34 woman, but the 11:34 woman wouldn’t let her go ahead even though the other woman’s flight was before hers.
Did you ever meet someone you just want to kick and shake? That woman was radiating negative energy. I’m sure her purse was filled with Tums, Mylanta, pain medication . . . and maybe some Xanax. She might have even been an emergency Valium woman like my mother.
So I made the flight here to New Orleans, and now I have a job for all of you this weekend. You’re probably thinking, “Wait, I read yesterday’s blog about the job you gave us to reconnect with old friends. You have TWO jobs for us this weekend?” For any of you who need a refresher on yesterday’s blog, CLICK HERE.
For those of you who are regular readers, you know I have limited experience with children. I’ve even called them “little aliens” from time to time, even though they’re really just little people.
I learned some things watching little Ashlyn here. It’s amazing how uninhibited a 2½ year old’s body language and emotions are. You know exactly when a kid wants to talk to you, play with you, communicate something to you . . . and you know when they think you’re a creep.
They are either naturally approachable or naturally unapproachable — like pitbulls. They are based on natural body language intuition, and are without fears and doubts.
So your job, Ethan Hunt . . . oh, wait this isn’t Mission: Impossible . . . is to go find some little kids this weekend and watch them. Go to a Chuck E. Cheese or a park and just enjoy yourself. Don’t go dressed in trenchcoat looking like a creep, and just enjoy the day.
I want you to go back to your more innocent days when you were more open about meeting people. The way to do that is to be open about body language, dynamics and from where the smile comes.
For those of you who think you’re above this, you don’t get the point of this. For those of you who think this is silly, you can be like Kristen’s cats and just hide in your room. People can be so much like cats — you take a cat out of it’s environment to a new place, and it freaks out for weeks and hides in corners in a room.
What would you rather be like? Think about it. Would you rather look at the world and the beauty that it is? Or, would you rather be like Kristen’s cats, Captain Jack and Hercules, scared of the living room? Would you rather be screaming with enjoyment, or screaming with fear?
Here’s a quote I just heard that fits perfectly into today’s blog and is a good ending to it: “You know if you hide from your fears, they don’t go away. They get bigger and they get worse. The only way to get rid of them is to face them.”
Have an amazing Saturday!
That is the hardest thing in a parent not trying to put too many fears in your kids so the loose that innocent way of looking at life. When they want to be with you they will just do it with no regards of what others might say or think. My 8 years old daughter is naturally super social creature, I have had to tell her only to txt our family as she will txt anyone I have txt in the past. She looks at me if there have been a period since I txt someone and ask me that does not make sense you should just txt someone whenever you fell like it. All the social rules still are not guiding in her way of looking at life. Love it.
I do have to say having a daughter in 3 grade in Florida where some genius have decided that if they don’t pass a test in 3 grade then they have to redo 3 grade. Talk about adults putting fear into young children.
The modern world overloads us with worries – rent, mortgages, bills, jobs, violence, crime, traffic, health, contracts, fashion, idiots, unfairness, silly laws and policies, social stigmas, crazy Audi drivers, bus train and plane delays… and then there’s gas prices that makes us think twice before mowing the lawn.
Without these we would all be more altruistic.
For some reason kids love me. And by little I mean like 5-12. I think I recently figured out why. I was hanging out with my cousins and their youngins and I was really the only one who was paying attention to Zoe — my cousin Kristin’s 8-year-old — everyone else was trying really hard to ignore the kids. I have never gotten to spend time with my second-cousin Zoe, so I wanted to get to know her. After ten minutes of treating her with my undivided attention and respect she wanted to hang out with me for the rest of the week.
Now my epithet: I realize kids can be annoying, but kids are people too — and as such they just want the same amount of love, attention and respect as the rest of us.
You’re right. Kids are really without fear.
It’s funny saying cats freak out… I mean kids just go and run after them and cats run like hell! I’d rather be a child then 
Great post today David!
I actually did that today and yesterday. while her mother was on the phone the kid and I were talking, and he just started talking about how he wants to get his toy back from Ashley when he goes to school… Its funny that when I was working at summer camp I was much closer with the kids than with my coworkers. They
Hey David! Dunno if you read my comment on your facebook page…but it was actually a massive success!! Im sure it didnt hurt that everyone was a bit drunk, but I ended up making a ton of temporary friends, by making fairly off handed comments, opening my body language to people, genuinely innocent smiling a lot!
Such a funny night, Im so glad I went with my heart and listened to what you had to say and went on my own and opened myself up today. I had an amazing chat on the night bus back with the great group of people, the highlight one of them vomitting up their macdonalds breakfast at 7am…suh a good night! I really feel like I’ve reached a new Plateau!!
David,
I stole that quote from you. Thanks.
Talking about facing your fears… I’m so proud of my girlfriend!
I just taught her how to ride a bike this weekend. She’s never learned before! And it was amazing to see her learn to hold onto herself and just trust herself enough to launch herself on the bike, find her balance and just ride.
She was shaking at the beginning but you should have seen her face filled with joy once she got it
Guess what I’ll be doing with her soon… take a bike ride!
hey guys, ya’ll know another benefit of playing with children? women notice