I Understand

Sometimes when one speaks, it is absolutely necessary to use a qualifier that not only cements any argument but locks it up tight so your words win. I was reminded of this while cutting the lawn the other day.

My wife’s youngest son had some minor speech problems when he was young. Sometimes he was easy to understand, but sometimes he wasn’t. He was always good about asking permission to do things, and it was frustrating for him and a listener when he couldn’t be understood.

One day I was mowing the lawn when he came running up to me. I turned off the PTO and the engine and took off my hearing protection to hear him. He began speaking what sounded like it could be best described as a phrase where you place your tongue out side of your lips on the left side of your mouth and run it to the right side of your mouth and then back and forth while vocalizing. I couldn’t understand a word, so I asked him to repeat himself, and again it sounded the same, but this time the last two words were “Ma Said!”

I was no fool and I would never argue with a statement that ended with the words “Ma Said.”

“OK”, I said, he ran off to do what ever he wanted to do with the permission of “Ma” and I started the lawn tractor us, put on my hearing protection and carried on.