Yesterday my first grader explained to me a squabble he was having in school.
school bus
“George (not his real name) says one hundred AND fifty,” he said. “I told him it’s one hundred fifty.”
“Yes,” I said. “It’s one hundred fifty.”
“Yeah, but then everyone said, ‘Nu-uh! It’s one hundred AND fifty,'” he said.
I grabbed a piece of paper to illustrate.
“You write it like this: 150,” I said. “Not like this: 100 AND 50. See?”
“Yeah,” he said.
“So you say it that way, too,” I said. “One hundred fifty.”
“Well, George says it’s one hundred AND fifty,” he said. “I’m going to tell him again he’s wrong.”
“Honey,” I said. Deep breath. “You can tell him, but he may not believe you.”
“Yeah,” he said. “He probably needs to hear it from his parents.”
“Unless his parents also think it’s one hundred AND fifty,” I said. “It doesn’t matter. You know what’s right and you told him. Even if the whole class disagrees, it’s still one hundred fifty.”
My son was quiet.
“I’m going to tell them it’s one hundred fifty,” he said. “And then when they say, ‘Nu-uh! No, it’s not!…'”
Pause.
“I’ll just say, ‘Oh, forget it.'”
He has a point.
Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. Matthew 7:6 NIV
Forget About It by Alison Krauss and Union Station. What unforgettable talent. Enjoy the weekend!
Ohhh I heart that kid! This made me giggle.
I laughed out loud when he said it. Never expected that to come out of his mouth.
Y’all are correct, and the underlying, subtle theological inference is the obvious elephant in the room… but I say it either way.
I a universalist when it comes to numbers!
Ha!
Or you could say numbers are all relative to me! Heheheheh…
Well… when you consider that my engineering grandfather could make 0+0=1… (and he was an atheist to boot)…
It’s the new math :)
Subtle? lol
A great lesson, but what if it really mattered?
Very good point, Professor. I thought about that, too. There are some truths in life you have to keep speaking even if it puts you at risk. God, grant us discernment to recognize them.
Duh. Every good Californian knows it’s one-fifty; saying out the hundred is needless. :D
And if you have an accent like me, I’d say “one-fifty, like one-five-oh, not one-one-five.” :)
One fifty is acceptable, especially in CA :)
My brilliant boy. Learn to revel quietly in the fact that you are right my love. It is a skill you will use more than once in life. He is fab Aimee. Love him.
Thanks, Lisa. I agree.