My five year-old daughter is a rhetorical genius.
When I attempt to convince Clara that a two minute living room clean up is not a long time, or that the last piece of grilled cheese can be eaten in seconds, or that it’s always a good idea to try to use the bathroom before going on a long trip, her response is the same:
“Not to me.”
And it’s brilliant.
It’s true. Two minutes may seem like a long time to her.
It’s true. That last piece of grilled cheese might be incredibly difficult to eat.
And yes, just because I think something is a good idea does not mean that she will think the same.
“Not to me.”
Essentially, Clara is telling me that her reality and my reality are not the same, and that imposing my reality upon her will not work.
This is a reasonable and rationale position to take. Also rhetorically brilliant.
Annoyingly so.
