Show me your thesis and I’ll show you mine –  If there is one perfect part of a child it is the innocent honesty in what they say. Straight from the heart, through the head and out the mouth to somebody’s house it will go, as it should.

When we age, just like that preverbal Garden of Sin where things got way too honest way too soon, we let the words go first through the head, then the mouth and last sadly where they register in somebody’s heart. No direct hit with a military weapon is as deadly as the hurtful words from someone we care about, directed at who or what we are. Indeed, it makes a statement and most of the time we have no idea!

Because my elementary years are far behind me, my current knowledge is limited. However, I do know cursive writing and the concept of term papers has been changed, if not out write eliminated and with that I wonder if the all encompassing thesis statement left as well. It would explain the evolution of society if it did – and yes, that is an evolution schools should be teaching, because it is acceptance, understanding and common sense, which are all in short supply.

English #101 was always intense, the classic written word and the challenge to come up with something new, innovative or suggestive within the laws and rules of grammar and class. The one thing we were  given however, was an initial safety net, which mapped out where we were going and what it should say. Our introduction of words said it all before laying out the explanation. You knew what you were going to read, what should be told and in the end given an opportunity to agree or disagree with the writer, which left you satisfied with the effort –  doesn’t get much better than that.

Now that computers and cell phones do the talking for us, emails and texts reach out with the emotion once limited to voice and hand. There is also less responsibility, compassion and accountability – after all no one takes an email seriously – right? Or as they say on the street, WORD! Well, in my world it is WRONG! And there needs to be a change before we are all lost between the pages. Especially important since few of us actually have family albums anymore, pages memories sit upon are now digital.

Why is it so hard to start a phone conversation, email or text with the words from the heart first, then through the head and last out the fingers? When did we forget the first few words we read and hear register in the mind like the bell that can never be unrung?  No one wants to receive a lecture or biased comment before any conversation, and yet we are still judgmental, critical and negative only reaffirming a position of thoughtless superiority on one side, and a direct hit to someone’s self worth on the other –   And we wonder what is wrong with average relationships anymore.

Instead of WWJD, please don’t get me wrong, HE did do  it right –  let’s stick to something we can relate to and understand .  WWACD should be the mantra we strive to accomplish, What Would A Child do? That’s easy; they would be compassionate and honest, see the immediate good and love in the moment, reserve their opinion to the end and when they do offer it up, it is usually comically innocent without the barbs and sarcasm that comes with age.

One of my favorite examples of this is in a cookbook children were asked to write. One little boy explained in order to make cookies you first get the big green bowl and set the stove to 1000 hot. Then after explaining his recipe, especially sampling them with delight, he added with an afterthought, yup that is the bowl mom always gets for us to throw up when we are sick. Let’s face it – we all have one, it’s washed and cleaned but it still is that bowl, which is grabbed in a moment of pre-vomit panic – right? Don’t lie you know I am right. The child was delighted to be helping make something he loved, and only added the obvious at the end in all innocence because it was what it was.

You only get one chance to make a first impression as we all know, so do it every day. You only get one chance in one moment to be a part of someone’s life. Open that moment with a positive, a love, a reaffirmation. You can always add the vomit later and let it be put in the right perspective or maybe forget it all together, because sometimes if just doesn’t matter to the outcome of the recipe.