My niece Maisie is cute, but she’s only three-and-a-bit years old so she still has plenty to learn about the World. This week, presented with a beach ball, she declared:
“I saw India on a ball like that. It’s where elephants and peacocks live and it’s a triangle.”
On seeing a black woman at the swimming baths she asked her mum, my sister:
“Why is that woman covered in chocolate?”
This is Maisie with her grandmother, whom she sees a lot of
—though perhaps not in the same way as she saw a lot of the woman at the swimming baths. When grandma’s colour was subsequently drawn to her attention Maisie countered that my mum is “only a bit chocolate”. Extending her theory, Maisie decided that this meant that she was herself made of “white chocolate”. The girl’s future career as a chartered diversity consultant is already in jeopardy.
[Standard disclaimer: the chintzy decor in the background of the photograph above is nothing to do with my sister or brother-in-law’s taste in interiors at all; it came with the house and they haven’t got round to replacing it yet.]
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Thank you, VR.
I sometimes get asked “Why are you pink and Mummy brown?” by my kid half-sister. I explain that Mummy is from a hot country with lots of sunshine, whereas I grew up in Wales where it pisses down all year round.
The explanation seems to suffice.
When grandma’s colour was subsequently drawn to her attention Maisie countered that my mum is “only a bit chocolate”. Extending her theory, Maisie decided that this meant that she was herself made of “white chocolate”. The girl’s future career as a chartered diversity consultant is already in jeopardy.
Her future role as an adviser to Mayor Ray Nagin is, however, assured.
An early education in Blues and Jazz is all that is required.
This may be achieved with no stress by ditching study of economics, meteorology and transportation planning during her schooling.
My 4.5 year old announced, appropos of nothing, while in the middle of dinner at a local cafeteria the other night, “Some people are black.” And I said - yes, some people are. And some are white, and some are in between, and all different colors…and you’re just noticing this? And she just kind of shrugged, and carried on eating.
“Standard disclaimer: the chintzy decor in the background…”
Uh? I hadn’t even noticed ‘till you mentioned it.
Yeah, but my sister will and then I’ll be in trouble for broadcasting it worldwide.
‘The rusty triangle of India.’ - Martin Amis in ‘Success’
Poot, your niece may be more precocious than intially thought.
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