Homeschool Diva

You must read the previous post in order to understand this one!

Language is so important!  Here is a story.  I was about 8, church basement, Wednesday night, Grey Awana uniform on, sitting in a assembly of my peers listening to a “talk” give by one of the Awana leaders. He asked a simple question, “How many of you have been to Spain?” to which everyone raised their hand.  I was the only one who hadn’t raised their hand.  I was very confused. (My word, these kids were well travelled and cultured what with all of them going to Spain and such.)  Slowly but surly, every one started saying, “Come on, yes you have, yes you have.”  to which I honestly replied “No, really I havn’t.”  Finally we all determined the confusion.  What he said was “How many of you have been spanked… not….. been to Spain.”  We all had a good laugh.

Language is important, being heard is also important but being understood is vital.  (I believe I will write a pithy post on that one day.) We all trip around these fine points many times in our lives, on both sides of a conversation.

You see, everyone else in the car, was on the same page except for me.  I know, shocking really.  They all understood Chenoa to mean that when she said “She ate them.” she meant the mother dog not the owner lady.  Still disturbing really, but I don’t know that I would of thought so much about it if I had a asked a few more questions.  Questions are really, helpful tools in getting you pointed in the right direction in every conversation. 

Ask many of them people!

The Styrons have a cute little Chiwawa.  They call him ”Tiko” after the little yellow taxis that run around here.  Yesterday, they told us of how a few years ago, they allowed their male “Tiko” to breed with a local woman’s female chiwawa.  She had 2 sweet puppies…like this.  Isn’t that sweet? I know adorable right?!

The only troubling part to this story, is she didn’t keep them, or sell them or give them away….SHE ATE THEM! 

I am leaving a big space just to let that sink in for effect. Can Somebody say PETA? I think I will always remember that car ride  the rest of my life, Chenoa was wearing pink, the kids where quietly sitting in the back, Mike was turning a corner and Chenoa mouthed the word “eat” in Spanish so the kids didn’t hear. It is burned in my brain.

Honestly, I had trouble sleeping last night.  All I kept thinking was, “Why, did she do that?”, “How did she do it?”, “Did she fry them like a cuy…or stew them?”  “What did she do with the uneatable parts?”, “Is there much meat on them?, I mean they are small little dogs and puppies are even smaller.”, “Did she have to fatten them up?” Really people…. the questions are unending.  I tell you what, those Styrons have some stories to tell.