The phone call was taking up all my attention, the passing of news from one to another, family events and such. The sun was shining outside after many days of grey clouds and off and on rain, and so for a change, the patio door was open to let the breezes and fresh air take away the staleness. A loud clattering against the window glass suddenly made the conversation of less importance, especially as the noise was on the inside. It was accompanied by the sound of a vibration, a buzz. A huge dragon fly had for some reason decided that a tour of the house was in order, but maybe realized his mistake immediately and was trying hard to find his way back to the garden. First one window, then another, then another.... Don came in at that moment and phone still in hand, I pointed out the lost wayfarer, and he captured him in a small handtowel and released him back to the world beyond the glass.
Watching Don save the bug reminded me that when he was a little boy, someone, his bother Bob perhaps, told him that you have to be careful of dragon flies because they will sew your lips shut. To a small child that likely seemed perfectly plausible considering the long, very thin and seemingly pointy tail that they had. So he would clap his hand over his lips when he would see one and run as fast as his little legs would carry him. It has been a standing joke between he and I, that at the sight of a dragon fly now, we also, would clap our hands over our lips as we shouted a warning, with a huge smile for one another.
Children are so gullible and will swallow the silliest stories completely. But they also believe stories that aren't meant to be jokes. I remember when I was old enough to read, I saw a magazine in a doctors waiting room (or somewhere else perhaps, not that the where really matters), and there was a story with a caption about an asteroid or meteor hitting the earth and causing destruction, etc., etc. Being very young, I didn't read the whole story and likely misunderstood it as well, but I believed that it was a warning that this was in fact going to happen. I worried and was afraid for months over this.
Casual comments, meant in fun, or information not explained well enough can cause anxieties that children shouldn't have to carry around with them. I will have to remember this when I am with Liam. I wouldn't want him writing a blog when he is older and remembering how his Grandma messed with his mind when he was a little kid.
