Art Linkletter

Back in the golden era of television, there were three stations -- 3, 5 and 8.  And the knob to turn to those stations was clunky and stopped in a very positive manner at 3, 5 or 8.  In between stations, there was the annoying white noise and granular image.  At a certain time at night, the stations closed with an American flag and a patriotic theme -- right before the white noise and granular image of the station logo.

And yet, with just three stations, I almost always could find something I liked?  What about those of you who are old enough to remember?  What did you watch?

Art Linkletter's program, "Kids Say The Darndest Things," was one of my favorites.  Kids sat like contestants in a quiz show while Art walked back and forth asking questions and listening -- and laughing.  As we all know laughing is infectious.  When we see someone really laughing, it makes us feel better too, and often we join right in.  Art had one of those kinds of laughs, and he could not have been faking the fact that he really liked kids a lot.

One summer when I had a salivary gland infection, my friend next door gave me a book about Art's show.  It was really a perfect gift, because it was just as funny as watching it and it took my mind off my misery.  Salivary gland infections aren't much fun. 

Years and years later, Bill Cosby tried to recreate the magic from Art's show, but for me it just never quite measured up.  It was funny, sure, but not as great.  Art knew just what questions to ask as a follow-up, and he really GOT kids.  He could sense their every feeling, their every mood.

One of the best parts of being a grandparent is getting to hear about life through the eyes of a child again.  My granddaughter was frustrated the other day because the cats were hiding from her and even Gracey who usually is quite friendly was hiding too.  I yelled out to no cat in particular, "It's okay.  Lauren isn't going to hurt you."  And she liked that, but she knew it wouldn't work, as did I.  Then she looked at me very seriously and told me, "Grandma, the problem is that we don't understand animals and animals don't understand us.  It's the way we LOOK."  That was pretty pithy stuff.  I might have to ask her a little more about that today when she comes over.  And I couldn't agree more; and you can add people to that equation too.  Oftentimes we don't understand each other.

A really nice lady from church once told me a story about her grandson who lives some miles away.  The grandmother texted her precocious grandson, "I love u."  When he received the text on his mother's phone, he read it and told his mother, "Isn't Grandma cute?  She doesn't know how to spell 'you'."

The best humor in the world comes from kids!!  That little girl on the credit card commercial, "What's in your wallet?" is just adorable.  I watch it every single time.   The kids on the Mitsubishi commercial crack me up too, "Come and buy 'em.  Here's a blue one; buy it.  Here's a black one; come and buy it."

My oldest grandson was always hilarious.  On one of the family gatherings -- this time in the summer so we were all sitting on the deck-- he found out what we were having for dessert.  His speech had a way to go, and he called out in a loud voice, "Caulk-it cake?"  And then again even louder and with more expression, "Caulk-it cake?"  Wow, did everyone laugh!!! 

I guess there's a reason for that quote, "Out of the mouths of babes."  Have a great day!  Spring has sprung.