To Tell the Truth

It's amazing how children are so honest and forthright before they mature enough to learn how to tell white lies to keep from offending or hurting someone's feelings. Every one of my grandkids has at one time or another, looked at me and said,"Hey, did you know you have a crooked tooth?" On that basis, I would rather ask one of the grandkids if I have bad breath than an adult. The adult will lie, or evade. The child will, if they are young enough, tell it like it is. I made the mistake of asking Sunnie that one day. I bent over and puffed in her face. She rolled her eyes, and made choking, gagging noises and acted like she was fainting. A simple yes would have sufficed.

Recently, I mentioned to Becky that I wondered if our little Hope would accept me better if my hair was darker. Everyone in China has black hair and I wasn't sure how she would take to a gray haired Baba. We decided that I would try some of that stuff that you comb into your hair and it restores the color gradually. When I read the directions, I began to have misgivings. The instructions said to comb the liquid into clean, dry hair and to not wash your hair again for a week. I can't stand to go more than a day without shampooing, so I decided to go ahead and try it, and still shampoo daily.

A couple of days after I started using it, I was down on my knees working on the lawnmower, when Sunnie walked up beside me. "What stinks", she asked? " I already had complained to Becky that I didn't like the smell of the stuff, and could almost swear that it seemed to attract flies. "Is it my hair", I asked Sunnie. She bent closer and sniffed, "Yuck!" she replied, "that's it". A while later Sunnie, Tyler and I were walking out to the barn to feed. "Something stinks",Tyler announced. This while were walking through a barnyard, but I bent over and said, "smell my hair, is that what it is"? Tyler sniffed and nodded his head matter of factly.

Now I lodged a more fervent complaint to Becky. "This stuff stinks, it draws flies, and it only makes my hair darker until I wash it out. It occurs to me that it works along the same lines that wet cow patties would work. Wet cow manure would accomplish the same thing, and would be much cheaper." The other day I saw the latest video of Osama Bin Laden. I couldn't help noticing that his beard looked much darker than in previous videos. I wonder if he is using something like I am, or is he using the cheap stuff?

Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. A week or so after I quit the stuff we were going somewhere in the car with Sunnie in the back seat."Hey, Ronnie, are still using that stuff in your hair", she asked? "No, not in several days", I replied. "Why do you ask"? " I just thought I would tell you that it's fading", she said.

"Thanks for noticing, Sunnie".

"You're welcome".

Ronnie