A few days ago, my daughter asked me when she was "going to be a mommy". I responded "Hayom Yavo"--which I figured was an accurate translation of "The day will come", and I would come across as a wise and all-knowing father. (did I mention my daughter is 6 years old?)
The look on my daughter's face was priceless. Her eyes widened as she asked hesitatingly: You mean today?!
I didn't quite think through my words.
It's not the first time.
Years ago when I was at YU, my friend Louis switched to over to YU in the middle of the year. At the end of the year, his parents came to pick him up--but they could not find him. Since they knew me, they came over and asked if I had seen him. I assumed that Louis was at the dorm still. He happened to have been dorming in Morgenstern Hall.
If you went to YU, you know what the nickname for that particular dorm was--and even if you didn't, I'm sure you can imagine.
So Louis' mother, who was a bit worried, comes over and asks me: Have you seen Louis? Where's Louis?
And I, without thinking, replied: Oh, he's probably in the Morg.
I still recall realizing my error just as the words left my mouth, and then seeing how Louis' mother's face changed:
from surprise...to confusion...to amazement...to anger....
I explained myself, but I don't think it helped.
But they did find Louis.
Personally, I think I would have been better off I had answered her in hebrew.
Maybe.
Technorati Tag: Language.
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