Beyond the World of Coca-Cola

Two weekends ago I took Ruby to the World of Coca-Cola. She was in awe of the enormity of the building, the plethora of Coke products, the interactivity of various rooms/documentaries, and the notion that I’d buy her something at the gift shop. “You’re nice,” she commented. However, throughout our outing, I found myself continuing to correct her grammar, and offer etiquette advice wherever possible. “It’s ‘I went’ not ‘I had went,’” I’d chide. “Say ‘excuse me’ when you bump into someone,” I’d say. I felt like the girl’s mother. But, that’s what I’m here for. You know? This is what I signed up for.

To compel her to really work on correct grammar, I tried to make a game out of it. “If I say ‘I had went to the store when your mom called,’ what’s wrong with that sentence?” I asked. “You should say ‘I had gone,’” Ruby replied. “Good!” I’d exclaim. “You’re getting it!” But once we resumed our normal conversation she’d resort to her old, improper grammatical ways. How frustrating.

Anywho, I drove her home (after having reminded her mother I had plans at 7:00 pm) stopping at Checker’s on the way back. Can I tell you that Checker’s has not ONE mention of a vegetable of ANY KIND on their menu? None. “I want a chili dog and a soda,” she said. ::sighs:: “You know my rule,” I replied, “when you eat with me you have to get a vegetable.” So we drove across the street to Church’s to get her some coleslaw. Now, I know I can be a bit bossy. So I really made an effort to soften my tone as I explained my rationale to her. “Do you know why it’s important to eat healthy?” I asked. “Umm… so you have strong bones?” she replied, meekly. “Why else?” “Um. So you can be strong and live a long time…?” she squeaked.

“Does anyone in your family talk about high blood pressure?” She nodded. “Sugar? Does anybody talk about having ‘sugar’?” Nods again. “Those things are a result of not eating right. I talk to you about what you eat because I care about you. I want you to grow up and be strong and healthy. That’s also why I correct your grammar all the time. I want to you graduate from high school, go to a good college and be successful. But it’s important that you remember these things even when I’m not around, okay? When you’re by yourself, try to choose foods that are good for you. And try to remember what we talked about in terms of grammar. What did you have for breakfast today?”

“Nothing,” she said. Wait a minute. She had to have eaten SOMETHING. “You didn’t eat ANYTHING?” I prod. She shakes her head. Bless her heart. This ten year old girl gets one meal a day from a parent who clearly is not educating her on the importance of a balanced meal. It’s not her fault. She just wants a hot dog! Ten year olds like hot dogs. Maybe it’s a lack of money. Maybe it’s a lack of education. Likely, it’s both. All I can do is my part to help. I’m trying.