9.09.2004

Maitresse in action (in Times Square)

A cute little girl (about six or seven years old) in pink flip flops who was walking with her mom and a sibling asked me for directions to 51st Street. Her mom did not speak English. This is how I answered:

Me: "What street are we on?"
Litte girl: "Erm...42nd!"
Me: "OK. Can you count from 42 to 51? [me holding up my fingers] Let's try. 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, and 51."
Little girl: "That's nine blocks!"
Me: "Yup. So how many blocks do you need to walk?"
Little girl: "Nine?"
Me: "You're right! It's nine blocks! And if the blocks go 'up' thataway, and 'down' the other way, which way do you need to walk?"
Little girl: "Thataway."
Me: "Right again!"

She communicated this information to her mother. I realized seconds afterwards that I didn't simply give directions (In the typical New York scheme of things, the answer might have been, "Um, a few blocks" or as has often been the case for me, "About 2 blocks" no matter what the actual distance!). I helped the little girl to count the blocks to find her way home.

I give total credit to the above occurrence, to my homeschooling A.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello, la Maitresse,
I love your site! I'm out here following along! I felt so bad after reading about the incident with your son's hair dresser. In terms of karma, I think your patience helping the flip flop girl will even everything out for you in the universe:) Thank you for posting in the midst of your move, studies, and work. Whew!
~Diane

la Maitresse said...

Thanks Diane. : ) I'll give you the honors of rolling that karmic wheel for me...