You Have a Spider in Your Nose

That’s what my three year old said to me yesterday after she jumped on top of me. I embarrassingly explained to her that it was just nose hair, and apparently needed to be clipped. There’s nothing like a toddler to remind you that you’re aging. And not necessarily gracefully or even neatly.

Nevertheless, I found this comment cute and charming. It warmed my heart. And I’m a huge cynic, which I remembered at that very instant. It’s just that whatever your child says, it’s charming. If it came out of the mouth of any other kid I’d find it rude and annoying. Actually I find a lot of adults rude and annoying, but that’s another story.

Bella’s going to say what’s on her mind, until society tells her that in order to get a promotion she needs to keep her mouth shut. I’m going to be the constant counter programming to that lesson. She wants to count the spiders in my nose? Fine. She wants to tell the neighbors about the spiders and how tired Daddy is all the time, then fine. It’s cute, entertaining, and truthful. Things we need more of.

I think as artists it plays into the fact that we’re both cynics and romantics at the same time. Sure, we think most things are ignorant, contrived and irritating. It’s just our nature. In fact if you want to see all three of those things together watch an episode of “The View.” But at the same time we take great pleasure in the things that aren’t, like our own children. Even when they remind us how old we are.