The Blindness of Youth

It is a beautiful thing. I wish we could retain it throughout adulthood. I have read in I'm Chocolate, You're Vanilla that children don't start seeing people in color until around 3 or so. I experienced this first hand today. It was a bit embarrassing, but mostly was a funny, enlightening and sweet experience.

My youngest child, who is just a few short months from being two, is very friendly with strangers. Hugs them, pats their bottoms, buries his nose in their legs. Any one's legs will do really. It is a tad embarrassing when he smiles up at other women and calls them "Mommy", but sometimes even more so when he does it with other men and calls them "Daddy". I always want to assure the men that he really does have an amazing dad, he just calls all adult men "Daddy".

So, the story...

Checking out at Wal-Mart with my not so few items, trying to contain my children as they roam about. We were being checked out by a mid-30's, attractive African American man. A Christian man if his cross and tattoos mean anything. Micah, true to his friendly self, looks at him, smiles and says very loudly, "Daddy!!" The guys just smiles and laughs at him. Normally I can move on, but he is still checking me out. Micah says it again loudly and points to him, "Daddy!!" I just laugh and say, "Micah that isn't Daddy. Daddy is at work. He doesn't look anything like your Daddy." The cashier thought this was hilarious, for obvious reasons. Very embarrassed now, we move on and the cashier waves at Micah and says, "Bye Son!"

Love how that didn't even seem weird to my little boy. How he didn't see a color, but just a sweet guy who would play along with him. Wish that we could all be that way.