“I’m Not Listening, Uncle BFF” September 27, 2011
Posted by nrhatch in Humor, People.trackback
After practicing law for 13 years, I took a brief sabbatical to explore “life in the slow lane.”
Although BFF supported my decision, he often teased me about my life of leisure.
One night, our five-year-old niece Jess called.
BFF and I got on separate extensions so we could both talk to her. As usual, the conversation proceeded with light-hearted laughter across the miles.
Since Jess had called past her normal bedtime, BFF commented on the fact that she was still awake . . . adding that he was going to bed soon because he had worked hard all day.
He started to tell Jess that, in contrast to him, Aunt Nancy sat around watching soap operas and eating bon bons day after day.
I interrupted with a laugh, “Don’t listen to him, Jess. He’s just kidding.”
BFF continued to rant about my leisurely lifestyle . . . and how hard he worked for us . . . and how Aunt Nancy stayed home and played games all day.
When BFF finally paused his mock tirade, Jess interjected, with perfect timing and obvious amusement in her voice:
“Uncle BFF . . . I’m not listening to you.”
Ha Ha Ha . . . that’s better!
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Spirit Lights The Way 
That’s adorable!!
Trust kids to give it to you like it is, huh?
*#*
She always had a great sense of humor . . . even when she was no more than two!
Now she’s a freshman in college. The years fly by so fast.
Pwn’d by a five year old. Awesome.
She knocked BFF “out of the ring” with her impeccable timing. 😆
I love it! Sounds like Jess is one who’s able to establish her own opinions.
She’s a cool “kid” ~ and already in college! How did THAT happen?!
Seems like just yesterday that she started school. Time flies.
I love little kids. They always know exactly what to say (and when to say it). 🙂
One of my favorite shows growing up was Art Linkletter . . . Kids Say The Darndest Things! So funny!
Priceless. 🙂
Jess is a hoot! 😀
Jess has a mind of her own… I love it….!
Her comment capped off a delight-filled conversation. 😀
You make a huge contribution to those of us in the blogosphere. Tell that to Uncle BFF! 🙂
Well, back then . . . I didn’t have a blog platform. I stayed home and wrote songs, and cooked, and read books, and entertained myself while trying to figure out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. 😀
After 6 months, I went back to work for another 10 years ~ first running a domestic violence program then an AmeriCorps program. Now, I’m back to eating bon bons. 😆
A life of leisure sounds nice!
As kids, we have time and energy . . . and no money.
As young adults, we have energy and money . . . but no time.
As we age, we have money and time . . . but no energy.
It’s a sad and ironic life we lead. 😆
May be true for most, but I think I’ve just completed a cycle ~ or I’ve regressed… I’m back to having more time and energy and no money ~ after bills are paid… Actually, it’s not so sad anymore… I’ve learned to embrace the fact that I’m free to act like a kid again… but I play responsibly ;-D
Well, we definitely have more time than money at the moment, but it’s all good. 😀
It may be our 2nd childhood we’re celebrating. 😀
Ah even at that age, she senses us ladies need to stick together! I’m totally jealous of your time off and your BFF is too 🙂
Each time we’ve relocated, we’ve taken some time for ourselves to get acclimated to new surroundings.
What we managed to save during our younger years is giving us freedom and flexibility now ~ I’m glad I never much enjoyed shopping for clothes, shoes, baubles and trinkets. 😀
Out of the mouth of babes… now pass the bon bons! 😆
Oh Nancy, you are too busy with life to sit still… 😉
This psychic wiring we are plugged into is intriguing because my post is about what to do if we get early retirement or don’t need to work… I love the bon bon line… I’m linking this post. 😉
I’m just about to head round to your latest post . . .
Getting all these blank e-mails is a pain. It’s much easier to prioritize visits when I can scan the e-mail and click a link to get whisked through cyber space. 😀
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So you eat bonbons, huh! 🙂
What a bright niece you have.
Actually . . . I’m partial to Lindt White Chocolate Truffles! C’est bon! 😀
Awesome – even the youngest kids have a way of cutting right through the BS… “Uncle BFF” – so cute
Some kids take what we say quite literally . . . others read through the lines to get what we really meant.
Jess always got the underlying meaning even if the words didn’t quite match up. 😀
Hahaha…
sounds a bit like my fingers in ears ‘lalalala’ approach!
🙂
I’ve done that . . . lalalalalala. I can’t hear you now. 😆
I woulda liked becoming a lawyer for constitutional law and ACLU issues. Can’t earn much of a living at that I suppose. Woulda liked paleontology/archaeology too.
Constitutional law was one of my favorite classes in law school, Carl. Really meaty issues.
My professor had papers and journals stacked floor to ceiling in his office . . . when he wanted to get his hands on a specific article, he’d extract it from the middle of a pile without hesitation. Amazing man.
I did some litigation around constitutional issues in federal courts ~ for example, when prisoners claimed infringement of constitutional rights for not receiving necessary medical treatment.
Also several section 1983 civil rights cases, including one I got to argue before the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. My most favorite oral argument ever . . . because the five justices lambasted the opposing counsel for filing a frivolous lawsuit and I knew I’d won without even opening my mouth. 😀
Still trying to figure out how to be as smart as a kid 🙂
Kids ‘R Smart! They’ve got us wrapped around their little fingers ~ cleaning up their messes, cooking their meals, and footing the bill for it all. 😀
Love this Nancy :-D. As Felix so succinctly puts it: “Lalalalalalalalala” *fingers in ears*
Until Jess came out with that infamous one-liner, I didn’t even think she’d heard me say that BFF was just teasing. She surprised us both.
Next long winded political speech, I’m going to follow Felix’s lead ~ why not? Politicians lips may be moving, but they rarely say anything intelligible. 😀
Talk to the hand because the ears aren’t listening!
The ears are busy grooving to the tune in your last post! Rock me baby . . . roll me away! 😀
It’s always good to develop selective listening at a very young age! 😀
And learn to “read between the lines.”
Ha! She got him good (I bet he didn’t have much to say about your ‘life of leisure’ after that :))
Kids often pick up a lot more than we give them credit for. My older son has always been the teasing kind – he can tell when we’re kidding him. My younger son takes things very literally and doesn’t get the whole ‘messing with him’ thing.
When I see the vast differences in children (and pets) raised in the same household, I am convinced that nature has more to do with who we are than the environment in which we’re raised.
Yup . . . she shut him up right quick. 😀
Ha ha. Brilliant. I bet you were grinning.
When we tune in to kids and their comments and observations about life, it’s hard not to smile. 😀
This made smile and smile. 🙂 Your niece has a wonderful sense of humor. I also smiled about your life of leisure, as I also took a break years ago from the corporate world and then went back to work.
I’ve taken three sabbaticals in my life ~ the one described here (after practicing law but before entering the non-profit world), a second between running a domestic violence program in NJ and joining an AmeriCorps program in MD, and the one I’m enjoying right now.
This one has been the longest . . . but will evolve into something more “substantial” at some point, I’m sure.
You tell him, Jess 😉
Even across the miles, I could see the twinkle in her eye. 😀
😆 Sounds just like the “Mummy, you are too fat” I got this morning!
I hope your kids said it with a twinkle in their eye. 😀
Jess must be a joy to be around. Kids are so adorable and sometimes translate things in their mind very literally.
My young two-year-old son at the time, who had a passion for trucks and fire trucks, was watching the next door neighbor’s yard as the dump trucks kept coming with top soil to landscape the yard. His eyes got wider and wider as each truck backed up and the huge truck bed reared up and the black earth pour out the bottom onto the ground.
Finally, with great excitement, he yelled, “Mommy, Mommy, come quick! Dump truck poopied.”
After a good laugh, I realized it took a lot of idea processing to make that connection. Kudoes to the kids.
That’s so funny! Thanks for sharing, Sharon. 😀
Uh…it’s Sandra 😉
Sorry about that, Sandra.
Too bad, though . . . I love the juxtaposition of “sharing” and “Sharon.” 😉
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