Looking up from the computer game she was playing..
Sara said, "Can I ask you a question, mom?”
Even without hearing those words, Ann knew what was coming..
She had been expecting a barrage of questions from her inquisitive fourteen year old daughter..
Especially as she’d been witness to the vociferous argument from the night before..
She gripped the steering wheel a bit more, as she responded.. "Go on Sara..”
"When you and Uncle Roberto were arguing yesterday..”
"Yeah..”
"Do you know the people that he said were talking about you?”
"No..”
"So why were you so angry then, mom?”
Watching the traffic ahead, Ann took a deep breathe and said..
“I wasn't angry dear, your uncle was just getting on my nerves.. I don’t mind people talking about me.. People will mainly talk about you for two reasons, because you're relevant and because their own lives are too boring to discuss, so they'd prefer to discuss yours.”
“I really hate it when people talk about me in school mom..”
“Sara honey, there’s only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.”
“But Uncle Roberto wanted you to con.. con..”
“Confront?”
“Yes! Confront.. He wanted you to confront them, didn’t he?”
“Yes.. And that’s why we were arguing. Listen, if a person devotes just ten minutes of their time talking about you.. That’s ten minutes of their world revolving around you.. Ten minutes that they could have spent thinking about bettering their own future.. but you were more important.
So me even discussing it was.. a waste of saliva really!”
Sara giggled at her moms favorite phrase..
Sara giggled at her moms favorite phrase..
Amidst the hustle and bustle of kids alighting from vehicles..
Goodbye kisses..
Clattering lunch boxes..
Ann navigated her Range Rover into the school car park..
She turned to face her daughter..
And cupped her face in her hands..
“If you don’t remember anything about this morning.. Remember this..
Goodbye kisses..
Clattering lunch boxes..
Ann navigated her Range Rover into the school car park..
She turned to face her daughter..
And cupped her face in her hands..
“If you don’t remember anything about this morning.. Remember this..
Great minds discuss ideas.. average minds discuss events.. and small minds discuss people.
So keep praying those small minds focus on talking about you.. You, my dear, shall focus on becoming great”
So keep praying those small minds focus on talking about you.. You, my dear, shall focus on becoming great”
“Thanks mom” said Sara..
Leaning in, she quickly kissed her mom goodbye..
And scampered off..
Leaning in, she quickly kissed her mom goodbye..
And scampered off..
Disappearing into the sea of cackling young girls streaming past the school gates..