Ramen noodles. By some, they’re considered a blessing. By others, a curse on good nutrition, but I never thought they would be fodder for a profound moment of insight from a three-year old.
During lunch, I asked my grandson to tell me about his favorite foods. We ended up talking about noodles, his favorite, and what actually could be considered a noodle. Soon, we were talking about Ramen noodles, a rarity in their home, but which his older brother would happily make for everyone at lunchtime.
“You know what happens with Ramen noodles?” he asked, with eyes lit up like he was sharing a magical experience. “They are a square and when you cook them, poof, they become noodles with their own sauce!”
“Wow,” I replied, “That’s amazing! But I think there is a package of seasoning that has to be added to the water to make the sauce.”
His brow began to furrow. “No, there isn’t!”
“Um, I’m pretty sure there is.”
“No …. There isn’t!”
He was becoming more irritated as the exchange continued, so I encouraged him to watch his brother the next time he made the noodles so he could see him add the seasoning package.
He went silent for a minute and hung his head, before saying, “I don’t want to.”
“Ok,” I replied, “that’s fine. You don’t have to. But can you tell me why you don’t want to?”
He didn’t hesitate. “Because I don’t want to know.”
Wow, I thought. Just wow.
“Well, that is a very honest answer,” I said. “Thank you for sharing that. I like it.”
“Well, I don’t.”
Curious to know if he understood why he didn’t want to know, I asked one more question. “Do you not want to know because it might mean you are wrong about the sauce?”
Again, he didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
I smiled at him and assured him I understood how he was feeling. Adults are faced with that dilemma on a regular basis. Sometimes it's easier to not know the truth.
I asked him if would like another pickle with his grilled cheese sandwich and he said, “Sure.”
All was well.
Marcus Winkler photo on Unsplash
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