Lesson 72 – The Potato Chronicles

Do you ever dream of becoming a potato?

No.
I haven’t either.
But I know someone who has.
And does.

Sure, that someone is eight years old.
But she’s very serious in her ambition.

Her five year old cousin, when asked “What do you want to be when you grow up?” answered:
Luke Skywalker.
And I see no reason to deny him the right to his dream.
Nor deny his cousin hers.

Who am I to say that she can’t be a potato?
Who am I to say that he won’t be Luke Skywalker?

What interests me about these desires – and the levels of true love I’ve already discussed – is the question of maturity.
Or, no, not maturity…
The question of sensibility.
Or, no again.
To put it another way:
At what age do we realise that the rest of the world expect us to have boring, reasonable-sounding dreams?

I guess some people refuse to reach that age.
They’re called crazy at the time.
And later, pioneers.
If it weren’t for some fearless, imaginative, forward-thinkers, how would industry ever grow?
How would technology ever further?
How would anything ever be challenged?

But also, how am I to know that when that eight year old is my age, there won’t be a way for her to be a potato?
I don’t know that.
I can’t know that.
I know that it’s highly unlikely.
But do I know that it’s definitely impossible?
No.
I definitely do not.

So the question to myself remains…
Is it best to play along with a child – no matter their age – and entertain their logic when expressing their desire to be a potato?
Or their deep love for milk?
Or their dream to be Luke Skywalker?
I have always tried to join them on their wavelength, excited to see where the argument takes them.
But do they need someone to say “No! You can’t do that!” just so they have a person to prove wrong..?

I think they need both.
A balanced adult perspective.
I’m the juvenile adult.
The pretend adult.
The older (but not bigger) kid.
I will always be the one to keep that line of thinking going.
As long as they want it.
And maybe a bit after that, just in case…

And there will always be the “you can’t” adults.
The “that’s not possible” grown ups.
Those are the people they can prove wrong.

And I’ll be there, cheering from the sidelines.
The proudest person in the room on the day a certain girl becomes a certified potato.

#yourewelcome

#auntietashalovesallofherbabies
#thepotatochronicles2017isatitleistolefromthatsameniece
#whenperforminganopusinwhichyouplayapotatoalwaysbeonthelookoutformashers

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