It's No Somebody

It seems that the more knowledgeable people get, the less interesting they get. Allow me to illustrate.

When we’re little, the whole world is exciting. We don’t recognize “bad” for what it is, we learn a million new things a day. Adults who are able to hold onto some of that excitement are often described as having a childlike enthusiasm and this enthusiasm is infectious, these people are fun to be around.

Today I witnessed a tiny spark going out. The other day when my daughter and I heard our front gate squeaking, she ran to the window to see who it was. I asked her, “Who is it honey?” She said, “It’s no...somebody,” and turned away from the window. “Nobody” was not part of her vocabulary yet so she did the best with what she had. I excitedly recalled the book idea I had – to record the progress of a child’s vocabulary and grammar as she grows. It might be an intuitive way to teach English to non-native speakers.

Of course, the interesting type might have gotten her on video saying “No somebody,” but being me, I immediately corrected her. So, today when I asked her who it was she said,” It’s nobody Mama.” I sighed and thought - more correct, but much less interesting.