I was driving Jaley home from ballet class earlier this week and she was telling me things from her life with me interjecting comments here and there. Apparently... my comments were sarcastic. At least that's what Jaley told me. In no uncertain terms. "Dad, you are sarcastic too much." I'll be working with her on getting to the point.
So to prove that "I can quit anytime I want" I vowed not to make any sarcastic remarks on the way home. (2 miles.) 3 blocks later I broke the vow. "Wait, wait. I can do this. I can do better. Let me start over right here at this stop sign." She graciously offered me another chance and a little advice. "Dad, you should just not talk; that will be safer." (Thanks 10 year old Dr. Phil but I think I can handle a few comments without being sarcastic.)
A block passes by, then two, three... I'm managing pretty well to stay conversationally engaged without making any sarcastic remarks. And Jaley is making many random comments about buildings and people as we drive, providing numerous set ups for a funny sarcastic line. This is purposeful on her part of course. But I resist all her subtle temptations to comment and now it has been at least... 3/4 of a mile. I'm starting to feel pretty confident. "I can do this--I'm not that sarcastic."
We're close to the one mile mark when she sees the library and says, "why don't we go to the library during the school year very much?"
"Because we hate the library."
As the last syllable leaves my mouth we both burst into gut-wrenching laughter for pretty much the rest of the way home. She knew I didn't say the comment intentionally to break my vow--that I was intending to stay sarcasm-free and yet I still managed to drop a sarcastic line.
So apparently one of the roles of children is to expose blindspots and give me things that I have to pray over. Sarcasm. How do I engage it without sinning? Hmmmm. Definitely not with mere will power--gonna need Holy Spirit transformation to keep this one in check.
Why do I have the feeling I myself will be having this type of conversation in a few years with my daughter? She is already rolling her eyes at me and she is not even here yet.
Posted by: tony | October 03, 2008 at 12:43 PM
Tony, I'm afraid you are right. We may need to start a support/recovery group very soon.
Posted by: Kevin | October 03, 2008 at 03:24 PM