Why Can't I Say That?

 

Once when I was four, I was very impressed by a toilet-related event and excitedly told Ma Hat that I couldn't wait to see my five-year-old neighbor to tell her about it. Ma Hat said, "Don't tell her. It's not an appropriate topic of conversation." Of course I didn't listen, and the moment I saw my friend, I told her all about it. She was just as interested as I'd hoped, and then I revealed that my mom hadn't wanted me to tell her, but I didn't know why, and she didn't either. Now as an adult, I would definitely not find this an appropriate topic of conversation, but here's the thing - maybe it is one for two preschoolers. Children definitely find different things interesting than adults do, and while I can see the value of teaching children not to talk about such things around adults, who cares if they discuss it with their equally immature friends?

Then I thought maybe there is a deeper, spiritual side to all this. A preschooler can't comprehend why toilet topics are not appropriate, because they seem very interesting to a little kid. I don't think we can explain to them why it isn't a good topic when to them it clearly is! But as you grow older and wiser, you understand why some topics should not be discussed. Maybe we are like preschoolers in our understanding of spiritual things, and when God says don't say or do something, and we don't get why, there's a really good reason for it. As we grow in the spiritual life, we begin to see the value in religious commandments; they aren't just there to take away all your fun, because as you mature spiritually, those things aren't really fun anymore. You can see how they hurt others, or society, or God Himself. And just like some adults do still find toilet humor funny, some people will never reach that level of spiritual maturity. The really odd thing is that some of these people do consider themselves religious, and sure they go through the motions - in fact, the way one goes through the motions is of utmost importance to them - but they have no spiritual understanding. Personally, I'd rather hang with the preschoolers talking about poop than people who care how reverently Mass is celebrated but don't have any sense of charity. At least there's hope that the little kids will grow up to discuss other things.

Famous Hat