The Mind of a 5 Year Old

As I was driving Savannah to piano lessons this morning, she asked, "Did the road builders have to dig out these roads to make them?" I tried to briefly indulge her in the history of roads and how they most likely started over time and only recently have become these elaborate paved passage ways. This took her mind back to what she calls the "old fashions."

S: Well was this road a dirt road when Laura (Ingalls) was a girl?

Me: Maybe

S: Why was Laura scared of Native Americans?

Me: She hadn't seen people that didn't speak her language or look like her before? The Native Americans were scared of her too?

S: Why?

Me: Laura and the Native Americans were different from each other. They did things in a different way, dressed differently and spoke differently. Sometimes different seems scary. But now, we know that EVERYBODY is different and different is good.

S: How could the Native Americans be scared of Laura?

Me: Maybe they thought she was going to hurt them or that her Pa was going to do something mean to them. They couldn't understand each other because they didn't speak the same language.

S: Would they be scared of me if I lived in the old fashions?

Me: Probably a little.

S: What if I made the Native Americans a card? Then would they have known how sweet I am?

Oh, if world peace could be tackled with a card.

Please don't fault me for my lack of indepth explinations. I was pretty bleary eyed after 6 hours of sleep.