Turn Left
Monday, April 27, 2009 Posted In conference talks , GPS , President Monson , toilet roll Edit This 16 Comments »
MM and I take the opportunity to teach the children good solid principals whenever we can. We try to instill values like honesty, integrity and changing the toilet roll when it's empty, at least once a week.
Sometimes it works and we are rewarded with the dawning of comprehension on the child's face. But other times, it seems that we are talking to an alien who just transferred into the child's body and who hasn't yet learned to converse in our strange garbled language. "Uh, wha..? Ahhh.... huh?"
Recently, we tried to create a reverent and thought-provoking atmosphere when we played the Church conference talks in the car. It seemed to work well and the children were quietly listening until the GPS got involved. Imagine if you will, a scene of attentiveness to thoughtful words of wisdom... "What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and... DRIVE SIX POINT FIVE MILES THEN TAKE EXIT THIRTY FOUR ON RIGHT."
Even President Monson was interfered with... "We know that there are times when we will suffer, when we will grieve, and when we will... TURN LEFT AT WATSON STREET."
We were literally choking with laughter. At the end of the talks, I tried to redeem the situation by asking the kids what was the most meaningful thing they learned. They assured me that they realized that at some time in their lives, they will, with earnest endeavour, make the life-affirming decision... to turn left.
At Watson Street.
Sometimes it works and we are rewarded with the dawning of comprehension on the child's face. But other times, it seems that we are talking to an alien who just transferred into the child's body and who hasn't yet learned to converse in our strange garbled language. "Uh, wha..? Ahhh.... huh?"
Recently, we tried to create a reverent and thought-provoking atmosphere when we played the Church conference talks in the car. It seemed to work well and the children were quietly listening until the GPS got involved. Imagine if you will, a scene of attentiveness to thoughtful words of wisdom... "What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and... DRIVE SIX POINT FIVE MILES THEN TAKE EXIT THIRTY FOUR ON RIGHT."
Even President Monson was interfered with... "We know that there are times when we will suffer, when we will grieve, and when we will... TURN LEFT AT WATSON STREET."
We were literally choking with laughter. At the end of the talks, I tried to redeem the situation by asking the kids what was the most meaningful thing they learned. They assured me that they realized that at some time in their lives, they will, with earnest endeavour, make the life-affirming decision... to turn left.
At Watson Street.
