From the Mouths of Babes

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Following are a few of the humorous (and sometimes quite profoundly wise) words spoken to me over the years by some elementary students of mine.

(I also threw in some humorous quotes from a couple of parents and a jail inmate/student for good measure.)

“Mr. Talley, I love you even if you are old and bald. I know you can’t help any of it.” Kids will tell you the truth they feel - plain and beautiful.  

“Mr. Talley, I’m gonna whomp you up side yore head if you say one mo time my child don’t know how control his temper!” To which I would like to have replied, “Ms. Jones, the apple does not fall far from the tree.” (But I did not want to further incite my chances of bein’ whomped up side my head.)

“Mr. Talley, I figured out why I like fiction books so much. They tell the truth better than tellin’ the truth does.  Kinda like when Jesus made up all those stories that weren’t real to teach us things that were.” Obviously this was one of the brightest kids ever. No, not a straight A student, but grades don’t always tell it all.

“Mr. Talley, I want to thank you for playin’ Santa for my kids. You did a great job, because he’d be jolly just like you.  And he’d probably have a raggedy old sack just like you, too.” (Gosh, maybe I outta find some way for this Santa to get a new sack by next Christmas. But I feel sure such real life donors are rare.)

“Mr. Talley, I know what type of cloud that is! It ain’t really no cumulonimbus. It’s called an ‘Ah, Hell’ cloud. That’s what my Nana calls it whenever she see one comin’.” I met this child’s grandmother. Therefore, I completely believe his statement.