A Pinoy Blog About Nothing

Children are fearless. They haven’t acquired the prejudices and inclinations adults inevitably pick up during their dealings with the World.

Petite and I were in the pool the other day. There was a kid of probably 9 or 10 in the pool. There were two other couples sunbathing on the deck and we thought he was with one of them. He wasn’t really much of a bother, bantering with the two couples and showing off that he can hold his breath while moving underwater. When the couples left, I asked him if his parents knew he was in the pool. The pool regulations say anyone below 13 years old need to be accompanied by an adult. I don’t want to sound like an old fogey but if anything happened to this guy, it was up to me and Petite to do something about it. I wasn’t in the mood to do CPR.

Yet there he was swimming, making regular trips to the deep-end of the pool and diving for his pool toys. At one point, one of his friends stepped out of the apartment building to prepare the common grill for a barbecue. The exchange went like:
Boy in Pool: “What’re you doing?”
Boy at Grill: “What do you think I’m doing? We’re doing a barbecue.”
Boy in Pool: “How come?”
Boy at Grill: “It’s my dad’s birthday. His friends are coming for dinner.”
Boy in Pool: “Can I eat with you?”
Boy at Grill: Pause. “No.”
Boy in Pool: “Why not? I’m your friend.”
Boy at Grill: “You’re not my dad’s friend.”
Boy in Pool: “Oh.”
He just continued swimming until his grandma picked him up.

***

One of my former bosses has told me that business negotiations is just what it is: what you need won’t be given to you — you get what you ask for and sometimes that means asking for it over and over again. The boy reminded me of that. Not that he got what he wanted, but I’m sure if his grandma was just a half and hour late, he’d be asking the other boy’s dad if he could join the barbecue (much to the consternation of the boy at the grill, I bet). I’m betting the dad would say yes.

I’ve met adults who stop at doing what they really want because it didn’t turn up the way they wanted it the first time around. Sometimes they’d see that the way to what they want is going to be difficult and chooses not to deal with it altogether. They worry about arbitrary rules usually made to make someone else comfortable. Sometimes being comfortable prevents us from trying out what we really want to do. I know I’m guilty of that sometimes. Sometimes adults need not worry about coming out with a few bumps, a scrapped knee and bloody nose. Sometimes we need to forget we’re in the deep-end and just give in to joy of being in the water.

* Photo by Petite