You Must Hate Life

Little kids have an easy life. They go to school, don’t really have any homework and a hard night is one where they don’t get to watch their favorite show. They also have the luxury of being able to say just about anything and have people go “aww” instead of get mad.

I went to the library to study yesterday. I was there a grand total of five minutes and then I almost got stung by a bee. Yes a bee inside the library. I am terrified of bees/hornets/wasps and am also allergic. A sting means I swell up, and swelling means I have to take Benadryl and Benadryl knocks me out. I had a lot of homework to finish. Are you starting to see why this bee encounter is a bad idea?

Scared of being attacked, I decided I wanted to study outside and headed to First Dam. I spread myself out on the grass, my books littering my blanket. Several families were there having picnics and feeding the ducks. 

For the most part every parent kept a close eye on their children, expect one little girl. She was probably around four or five and flitted around the grass, talking to just about everyone. It was clear she wasn’t lost or homeless, just a social butterfly.

I watched her for a minute, smiling at her carefree spirit. She stopped at my blanket, with her brow scrunched in confusion. I pulled my headphones from my ears and smiled at her.

“Do you hate life?”

Her question stopped me. What would provoke someone to say that? I didn’t think I looked particularly sad, stressed maybe, but I had a lot to finish. I shook my head, “No, why would I hate life?”

With the most serious expression any small child could manage, she pointed to my book cluttered blanket. 

“Because you’re doing homework. I hate homework.”

She paused for a second before skipping off to the next group, leaving me silently laughing before I returned to my work. Just so you know little girl, I hate homework too.