Standing in line at the grocery store at Chelsea Market. There was a little boy in a stroller in front of me, and it looked like he was with his grandmother. He and I made eye contact. I smiled and waved.
He barked up at me, “How are you?”
I said, “I’m good! How are you?”
He then waved at me insistently, in that way little kids do – holding up his hand and then repeatedly scrunching his fingers in and out.
I waved.
He barked up at me, “How are you?”
He was very concerned for my welfare, apparently.
I said, “So good, so good! And you?”
He scrunched his fingers at me.
He had on black Hi-top sneakers. So did I.
I said, “Hey, look – we have on the same shoes!”
He glanced at his feet, stuck his legs straight out, and then squirmed his whole body around in some sort of pleased response at the sheer coincidence of our shoes.
I said, “Some people think those shoes are just for kids.”
He barked up at me, “How are you?”
I said, “So good! And how are you?”
He lapsed into quiet contemplation at the sheer depth of my question.
Then he stuck his legs out again, showing me his shoes, and wiggled his body around.
I said, “Awesome. I love those shoes.”
He barked up at me, “How are you?”
(By this point, everyone in line was starting to laugh.)
I said, “Good! Again, like I said before, I’m really good! How are you?”
His grandmother murmured a word of encouragement, “You can tell her how YOU are doing!”
He took her words in, thought about them, and then barked up at me, “How are you?”
“Oh, honey, I’m so good today. How are you?”
It was their turn in line. His stroller was then moved away from me so he wasn’t facing me, so I obviously ceased to exist to the little boy. For that time anyway.
Then they were done, and it was my turn. His grandmother turned the stroller around, and he caught sight of me again, his long-lost friend of 3 minutes ago. He held up his hand and scrunched his fingers in and out.
I said, “Hi again!”
He shouted, “BYE!”
I waved at him. “Bye-bye!”
His grandmother started to wheel him away and right before he was out of sight, I heard him call out, “How are you?”
It was totally profound.
I love that kid!
Hahahahaha. What a cute kid. Sounds like he learned a new phrase and was very intent on practicing it. That, or he IS extremely empathic. I love how he zeroed in on you. He NEEDED you to know that he CARED about how you are.
He will either be a psychiatrist or a Wal-Mart greeter.
So…I don’t mean to be all “teacher-y” or anything, but I need to print this out for my students when I talk about the power of Repetition.
Hey Red, how are you?
Johnny – Ha!
I’m good, honey, really good! We have the same shoes! Bye-bye!