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Thursday, December 01, 2005

Sandbox Ettiquette

Kids have a way of peeling back gentility. When needs are immediate, and generally self orientated, the niceties of cooperation are basically just in the way. After all, we’re talking things of value, here; who wants the red truck when the blue one rocks?

Not getting your way happens. It’s how you handle it that’s interesting.

Grabbing works, sometimes. Just march your happy self across the box and TAKE that toy. This works best for the littlest or the biggest kid. Little kids get away with grabbing because they’re too little to know better. Uh huh. Big kids get away with it because they’re scary. Oh boy.

Once a toy is commandeered, there are choices. Adults would ask for it back in a reasonable tone. In the sandbox world? I don’t think so. Depends on the variables. How big is the kid? Is your Mom looking? What would make you happiest? Grabbing it back, throwing sand, or just whacking the kid upside the head with the yucky truck?

See, you were having a good time with the blue truck. You made roads and built a big pile of sand. Things were great. Then, three kids grabbed your truck, stomped your pile flat and dug a big hole where your extra sand used to be.

Everything is messed up. You not only got no sand, you owe huge amounts of sand. You may never get that hole filled. Plus, they stole your truck!

Sometimes, being the nice kid in the sandbox sucks.

So you check out the three kids. Kid number one talks pretty tough, but you think he’s bluffing. He’s got the truck. He’s also got two kids to back him up. Kid number two is big. And scary. He looks like he’d eat live baby rabbits. He keeps digging that hole, deeper and deeper. Kid three is a weirdo. He keeps standing behind one and two, whispering in their ears. He’s creeping you out.

Big Time.

What’s the best way? Who do you tackle first? You can’t walk away because you really love that truck. After scoping out the status of the ruined sandbox, it’s obvious your truck needs you too.

Sometimes, problems are just too big for one kid to solve alone. A kid needs reinforcements. A kid needs numbers. A kid needs….you.

Allleealllee all in free!

Georgie swiped our truck. Little Dick’s digging for oil and smearing dirt to cover his tracks, and that weird kid Karl just took a crap in the sandbox.

There's a lot more of us now than there used to be. It's time to get our truck back.

Go!

6 Comments:

At December 01, 2005 9:32 PM, Blogger 1138 said...

You go after the kid whispering into the ears of the others and make him cry.
Ohm the others will try and stop you, probably hurt you even, but if you can get a good one in...
The others will see him for what he is and abandon him.
They won't join you - but that wasn't the issue, the issue was the truck and the sand, and the weasel that manipulated the weak minded into doing his evil will.

photoblog

p.s. Thanks for the kind words

 
At December 02, 2005 11:12 AM, Blogger Mags said...

This is such a great analogy - and I don't doubt for a minute that Karl Rove WAS "that weird kid."

 
At December 02, 2005 5:58 PM, Blogger Jet said...

I agree, Paul. Shutting down the instigator is a sound parental tactic.

Thanks Mags! Good to have you drop by.

 
At December 05, 2005 10:30 AM, Blogger Betsy said...

The news every day is equally infuriating and motivating, underlining the NEED to take back what we thought was ours. Waiting for three more years to do it is the hard part. The mid-term elections can change the tide somewhat, but the federal governemnt is a large vessel to move, so it will take the efforts of many. Where do we sign up?

 
At December 05, 2005 12:55 PM, Blogger Jet said...

I guess where are feet are -- in our individuals communities. Instead of working to convert the committed, try working on getting seniors and young people to commit to voting. It's a start.

 
At December 13, 2005 6:40 AM, Blogger frstlymil said...

It is quite easy to see that these men were the school yard bullies that enjoyed making life miserable for others - all the while learning very little in school themselves. Being mad with power doesn't always accompany a thirst for knowledge. They have not just take our truck - but they are trying to bring us all down to even below THEIR level, education-wise. Horrible people that are carving out their own very special place in hell.

 

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