Eavesdropping on 89th Street

Personal Yummy #41

Toward the end of a long walk on a gorgeous spring day, I decide to stop at the grocery store to pick up some chips and guacamole and a piece of salmon to make for dinner. So I head east on 89th Street, on my way to the C-Town supermarket on First Avenue, where I regularly shop.

I am lost in my thoughts, as usual, but these thoughts are momentarily interrupted because I can’t help but overhear the conversation of a cute, petite Japanese girl—probably around eight years old—and her mother, who are walking hand-in-hand a few feet in front of me. The young girl is telling her mother that, at school today, they were each asked to stand up in class and cite two traits that applied to their personality.

“And you know what I said, Mama?” she asks her as she turns in her direction, holds her hand even tighter, and walks along buoyantly, almost as if she is bouncing down the sidewalk. “The first trait I said—you know what it was?—I said it was ‘funny’…”

The little girl smiles and giggles.

“And the second trait—can you guess what it was, Mama? Can you guess?…”

Her mother looks at her blankly.

“Well, I said it was ‘stubborn,’ Mama… Yes, that’s what I said, Mama. I said it was ‘stubborn.’”

She smiles and giggles again.

The little girl is exuberant and utterly pleased with herself, and it’s obvious that she is eagerly—maybe even painfully—waiting for her mother’s reaction to her insightful comments.

But her mother just continues to stare at her.

Gradually, however, a confused look appears on her mother’s face. In essence, she simply doesn’t seem to understand.

She shakes her head.

And then, finally: “Trait…? Trait…? What is ‘trait’?” she asks her daughter, her eyes expressive and curious.

So her good-natured daughter immediately begins educating her, and she is as thrilled about explaining the meaning of “trait” to her mother as she had been about revealing her two specific traits earlier.

“You know, Mama, they are things that describe a person… You know, Mama… Like being loud, or being shy, or being caring… Qualities that tell you something about a person… Understand, Mama? Understand?”

She looks at her mother expectantly.

“I do… Thank you,” her mother replies, smiling gently, undoubtedly happy that she has such a smart daughter.

“So what about you, Mama? What about you? What are your two traits, Mama?” the little girl asks her mother next, as she continues to skip along.

Her mother looks at her thoughtfully.

“Well, that’s easy,” she replies.

“It is, Mama? It is?”

“Yes, it is. The first trait is ‘blessed,’ and the second one is ‘proud,’” she says, gazing at her daughter, her eyes drenched in admiration.