Maybe A Touch of Self-Absorption Would Help The Rest of Us

Today we took a trip to the mall. One, because we needed to go to Target for diapers (the Target brand is just as good as Pampers and half the price) and two, because it was rainy. Ironflower loves the mall - she rides the carousel and the Ferris Wheel and has a grand old time. Lovebug usually enjoys it, but Lovebug has been having a hard time with life lately. He screams like a banshee when he doesn't get his way and lately it seems NOTHING is going his way. So naturally today was no exception.

The entire food court stared at us as he screamed. Which is our usual cue to leave, but that's when Ironflower decided to actually eat her lunch. (Oh, how I wish for a stroller with trays!) Ironflower is a lousy eater, so we tend to indulge her whenever she deigns to eat real food. Finally, Hot Guy decided to take Lovebug for a walk. No longer distracted by her brother's fit, Ironflower was able to quiz me about the people around us. "Is that her mommy?" "What's his name?" "Why is the baby crying?" (you'd think she'd be able to answer that one on her own)

Ironflower is relentlessly curious about others and when she began looking at the boy in the wheelchair, I began to think of the appropriate terminology to describe his disabilities to her. Her first comment, though, was to tell me that he had the same teddy bear that she does. She then asked his name and when I said I didn't know she began to stare at him intently.

"Um.. ." she began.

"Do you want to know why such a big boy is in a stroller?" I asked helpfully.

"No," she replied disgustedly.

"Do you want to know why his arms are moving like that?" I tried again.

"No," she said, with the "you freaking idiot" implied. "I want to know what he's going to eat for lunch. Do you think he'll have a cheesehamburger like me?" Sometimes that whole preschooler mentality that Ironflower has, convinced that the world revolves around her, is pretty damn cool.

Ironflower doesn't care about differences, only likenesses. Too bad the rest of us (Bill O'Reilly, I'm talking to you!) don't see life that way.