It has often been said that kids say the darndest things, and it’s so cute when they do. The things they say are so “darndest” because kids often lack a social filter or restraint on their honest thoughts and opinions. Society does not consider this a negative thing. A segment on a TV show from the 1950s even showcased such kids.
But once those kids grow up, they are supposed to know better than to break such societal conventions by overstepping conversational norms. It is no longer okay to ask “How old are you?” or “Why are you doing that?” Instead, there are certain subjects that we cannot breach without receiving nothing more than a cold stare.
I started thinking about this last night after a truly wonderful experience I had at work. I work as a server in an Italian restaurant and I speak to a lot of different people. I always know within the first moments of arriving at a table how well the hour or so I will spend with these people is going to go. Last night, in the very first moment I approached this specific table I knew these people had been sent to me to teach me something. They called me by my name, showing me respect that many people don’t pay a waitress. Then, after I had taken their order and collected their menus, the man told me that they would be praying before their meal and wanted to know if I had any intentions. They were going to be including me in their prayer and wanted to know if there was something I was particularly in need of.
To say that I was touched is an understatement. I was overwhelmed with their grace and courage. And I say courage because it is not the most acceptable thing to breach the subject of religion with a stranger, much less to include that stranger in your practice. But their courage had the power to show me the face of God.
I can no longer accept that such a powerful thing should be restrained by convention. I think it is our duty to say the darndest things. How many times has a child said something so wise in so few words? We chalk that up not to courage for saying something honestly, but instead to their ignorance and identity as little people who haven’t been around long enough to pick up on social norms. I think that is a mistake. It is courageous to be honest and genuine in expressing yourself, and the existence of the risk makes the reward immeasurable.
