kids.

I have this innate fear of raising children. Don't get me wrong, children are great...it's not that I don't like children. It's just that kids are fun to be around for a few hours before they need to go back to their owners. I babysat for the first time in eons yesterday. Two little rugrats that belong to my roommate's sister. Good kids, for the most part. It's funny though, I have noticed children's behaviours in various situations over the last couple days and it's given me an insight into what's wrong with the world today:

Tim Horton's, Saturday around 4:00pm. Whilst standing in line awaiting the coveted Tim Horton's coffee, a young East Indian laddie awaits along the window with his parent. Along comes a caucassian young laddie who stands beside first laddie and proceeds to tap the first laddie on the shoulder. First laddie turns his head to second laddie. Second laddie raises his hand, and waves to first laddie with a smile. Several minutes pass by, first laddie has moved onto the world of Tim Horton's feasting. Second laddie and I are still in line when along comes laddie number three. Laddie number three walks over to a chair that faces second laddie, sits down and waves at second laddie with a smile. A little coffee shop of innocent cheer , thought I. Timmy would be proud.

Church, Sunday around 12:00pm. About 30 young lads and lasses stand in choir formation at the front of the church, belting out various songs for our enjoyment (and entertainment). Far to the left is a young white girl with devolpmental disabilities. Next to her is a young asian girl. The final song calls for the choir to join hands and in one disjointed manouevre, raise and lower connected hands on cue. Little asian girl firmly grips the hand of the girl beside her and will not let her go. Discriminiation is not in the vocabulary of a four-year old.

A house in Abbotsford, Sunday around 5:30pm. Babysitting. Sitting on a couch watching a movie. I discover a little joy that most parents must appreciate. Five year old boy, who previously sacked me (four times), decides that he's had his fun and will sit gently beside me with my arm around him and (I think) enjoy the fact that someone genuinely cares for him. This moment lasts only a few short minutes before he's off on another quest to destroy my body, but it was kinda cool. I may not actually be able to have kids after this experience, but hey.

All in all, it was an interesting little foray into how life on earth should be. Maybe it's not so much our role as adults to teach kids, but to learn from them.