THE SILLY STAGE

 

 

 

DO YOU KNOW WHAT BEING IN THE SILLY STAGE MEANS?  WELL I’M NOT SURE I CAN GIVE YOU A DEFINITION IN WORDS BUT I KNOW IT WHEN I SEE IT, AND APPARENTLY SO DO A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE, EVEN KIDS.

 

EVER SINCE JOHNNIE AND I HAVE HAD GRAND KIDS, I’VE CALLED HER SILLY PUTTY.  THAT’S BECAUSE WHEN SHE IS AROUND THEM SHE ACTS SILLY FOR A GROWN WOMAN.  JOHNNIE WOULD GET DOWN ON THE FLOOR AND TRY TO STAND ON HER HEAD TO MAKE THE GRAND KIDS LAUGH.  MAYBE SHE WOULD MAKE FUNNY FACES AT THEM,   ANYTHING TO MAKE THEM LAUGH.

 

THEN ALONG CAME GREAT GRAND KIDS AND JOHNNIE WAS EVEN WORSE WITH THEM.  CHIVONA OUR FIRST GREAT GRAND KID WOULD TELL JOHNNIE, “YOU’RE SILLY!” AND SHE WAS.

 

THE OTHER DAY JOHNNIE WENT TO THE GROCERY STORE.  AS SHE WAS PUSHING HER BASKET CART DOWN THE AISLE, SHE PASSED ANOTHER BASKET CART.  THIS CART HAD A BABY IN IT AND JOHNNIE COULDN’T HELP BUT STOP AND COOGICOO AT THIS BABY.  SHE MADE A FUNNY FACE AT THE BABY TRYING TO GET IT TO LAUGH.

 

THE BABY’S MOTHER CAME BACK TO THE CART AND JOHNNIE TOLD HER WHAT A CUTE BABY SHE HAD.  JUST THEN A LITTLE GIRL OF ABOUT FIVE YEARS OLD AND A BOY OF ABOUT SEVEN YEARS OLD WALKED UP TO THE CART.  JOHNNIE ASKED THE LADY IF THOSE TWO WERE HERS ALSO AND THE LADY SAID THEY WERE.

 

JOHNNIE ASKED THE LITTLE GIRL WHAT HER NAME WAS AND THE LITTLE GIRL TOLD HER.  JOHNNIE SAID THAT WAS A BEAUTIFUL NAME FOR A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE GIRL.  THEN SHE ASKED THE LITTLE BOY WHAT HIS NAME WAS AND HE TOLD HER HIS NAME.  JOHNNIE SAID THAT WAS A VERY MANLY NAME FOR SUCH A YOUNG BOY.  THEN SHE WENT ON DOWN THE AISLE GATHERING HER GROCERIES.

 

IT WASN’T LONG BEFORE THE TWO CARTS PASSED EACH OTHER AGAIN AND JOHNNIE WAVED AT THE LITTLE BOY AND LITTLE GIRL, SMILED AND SAID, “HELLO AGAIN!”  THE KIDS WAVED BACK AND TOLD HER HELLO.

 

THE THIRD TIME THE CARTS PAST EACH OTHER JOHNNIE DID THE SAME THING AGAIN.  SHE WAVED AT THE KIDS AND SAID HELLO FOR THE THIRD TIME.  THE KIDS GAVE HER A BLANK STARE AND THEN THE LITTLE GIRL TURNED TO HER MOTHER AND SAID, “SHE’S IN THE SILLY STAGE.”

 

JOHNNIE DUCKED HER HEAD AND HEADED FOR THE CHECK OUT STAND.  SHE FIGURED SHE COULD COME BACK TOMORROW AND GET TO REST OF THE GROCERIES ON HER LIST.