take your stranger to work day

i have quite a way with kids.

a way to get them to be quiet and let you do your work.
today at work, a little boy came up out of pretty much thin air and looked in my face without saying really anything at all. so i looked in his face, smiled, and kept at my computerizing.
"hi," he said.
"hi," i said.
because anything less would've been rude.
i didn't know who this kid was and [far as i knew] he didn't know me. hence,
"what's your name?"
"i'm elena," i said. "what's yours?"
because anything less would've been rude.
"tyler," he said.
"alfred?" i asked.
"tyler," he said.
"alfred?" i asked.

"no, tyler." he stated.

"alfred." i stated, too.
"TYLER."
"ALFRED?"
"NO. MY NAME IS TYLER."
"CAN I CALL YOU AL FOR SHORT?"
"NO. YOU CAN CALL ME TYLER."
"HOW ABOUT FRED? CAN I CALL YOU FRED FOR SHORT?"
"ok."
agreeable little chap.
i went back to my computer things.
he went back to looking in my face.
"i'm bored," said alfred.
"me too," said i.
"i don't know what to do," he said.

"you could build a snowman," i pointed out.

he gave me a look like i was probably the dumbest thing since sticks. i didn't know a kid that age could produce a look so condescending.
"no," he said, "i can't do that."
"why not?"
"there's no snow!"

"WHAT?"

"yeah. it melted into dirt!"

that made me feel a little bit better.

"rats," i said.

"so...what should i do?" he asked.

"well..." i pondered this. "you could have a snowball fight. those are fun."

"IT'S SUMMER!!!" exasperation is one of my favorite facial expressions.

"yes," i said "it is that."

he looked really long and hard at me.

"snow angels?"

"NO!"

"snow tunnels!"

"NO!!!"

"you could color a picture?"

"ok."

and he sat quietly for probably a half hour, until his mom came and found him, and drew me the nicest picture you've ever seen. of a girl with long blonde hair and hearts all around her head.

so.

you know.

i have a way with kids.