Observation Diary #1: The Sweet Ignorance of Childhood

Is ignorance bliss?  Some of you would say no, yes, or (like myself) would say sometimes.   Looking back at my childhood, I remember being so ignorant.  This is for the simple reason that I was not aware of the true struggles life throws in the mix of other things that cause a great deal of stress.  As a young girl, I thought that everything would work out perfectly in the end.  However, I know think that it is better to have all of the knowledge possible.  By knowing, you can understand why things happen the way they do.  You can also have a realistic grasp of the world.  Now I will share with you one of the most angering experiences I experienced while babysitting Smiley and Pierre which so clearly explains what I am talking about above...

Here in Utah the air is extremely dry which causes many people to have dry skin.  Pierre happens to be one of those unlucky people.  We had gotten back from swimming and I remember that Rainbow told me to apply lotion on Pierre's cheeks. (Note, Rainbow is the code name for their mom because she is happy, and loves to change her hair color frequently)

Being the responsible person that I am, I said, "Pierre, we need to put lotion on your cheeks so that the dryness will go down."

Original Graphic by Claire

"WHY!!!!!?????" was his response.

Through a deep breath I explained, "You don't want your skin to get red or irritated!"

"But your skin has a bunch of bright red dots everywhere," Pierre beamed proudly at me.

In case you didn't already figure out what these "red dots" are, they are acne.  Like many teenagers, I am acne prone.  The frustrating part about it is that I have tried so hard to get "rid" of it.  Nothing has worked for my red dotty skin.  Yet, everyday I put a false smile on my face and pretend it isn't there.

When Pierre said this I was fighting back tears and put on my infamous false smile.  Afterwards, I really thought about why he had said this to me in the first place.  For starters he is ignorant to other people's feelings as most six year olds are; a fourteen year old would never say this!  During childhood, you don't bother to think about how your words can effect others in the long run.  I really wish Pierre had thought before he spoke because every time I look in the mirror I remember his words.

Overall, that simple conversation between us has never left me.  I carry the rude message everywhere I go.  I've also learned that childhood is so great because you aren't thinking about the impacts of your actions.  Little kids rarely over-think the context of their sentences.  Also, I realized how badly I want to go back to being six were I didn't have hours of homework, social drama, having to play sports for graduation credit, writing essays, memorizing countries and so much more.  Man oh man, I miss the sweet ignorance of childhood.

The Tale of the Cat (Pun Very Much Intended)

They say dog is man's best friend.  What do they say about cats? Huh? That's what I thought.  Nothing.  There is no information out there on whether or not cats are friend or foe.  Just so happens that I think cats are great, except for one.  Her name is Squeaky and she resides at Pierre and Smiley's home.  Do not get me wrong here, I enjoy her company some of the time.  Let me begin my tales of Squeaky the cat so you will understand my distress.

Willie, my loving and not crazy cat.
Photo by Claire

Although this is not a story about the children I watch, I am still responsible for the well-being of all living creatures which happens to include Squeaky.  Every single time I go over to this families house, Squeaky hisses and meows at me.  Whenever I try to be nice to her, she runs away.  I don't know about you, but I take this as hint that I need to get the heck away from her, or else.  She has even bit me and scratched my chest.  I mean seriously.  What did I ever do to her.  The answer: NOTHING!

Now, I will retell the most stressful event I have ever experienced while babysitting.  It was last Saturday night, and I was watching Pierre and Smiley.  My good friend Maddy was with me, thank goodness.  Anyway, we live up the street so my mom rode her bike over to give me my dinner.  When she rang the doorbell all of us got up, including Squeaky.  We talked to my mom for a few minutes and just as we were shutting the door, out she ran!  My heart literally fell onto the floor.  It's one thing to not put the dishes into the dishwasher, but to lose the family cat is unspeakable.

With everyone on the side path, we had her cornered.  My mom was about to grab her, but she scampered away from her reach.  Gone, as if she had never even been there.  Pierre had told me not to worry because she always returned.  However, this did not calm my sizzling nerves.  Maddy and I both kept a watchful eye on the front door to see if she crept up.  After an hour, she still wasn't back.  Imagine this senario: parents come home, you small talk for a minute or two, they pay you, and then ask how it went... "Oh, your cat ran away, but other than than it was perfect!"  There was absolutely no way I was going to allow this to happen.

Finally, after much suspense, Squeaky came home.  Pierre and Smiley taunted me and said that they knew she was coming home... But what if she hadn't?  I pondered the moral of this experience, and came up with this: even if things go wrong, if you worry enough it will fix itself (most of the time).  Before I could even sum of the night, I looked over and saw Squeaky happily on top of my computer.  She was home and back to the old cat that I love to hate.