OK kids. It’s story time. For your listening enjoyment I have prepared two tales for today’s session. These, of course, have a moral to them, but you will enjoy them nonetheless for their pure content regardless of the lesson being taught.

I shouldn’t actually call them tales, as they are actual, true stories to which I had the pleasure of being witness. Remember to be considerate of those around you while I am speaking. Please no interruptions or talking to your friends. And for heaven’s sake, no burping. I would hope that you have outgrown that by now. This is college.

Anyway, a long time ago in a stage of life far, far away we humans were all something called children. This “childhood,” as it was called back then, was a time of innocence when everyone got along and played together happily. That is, of course, unless someone tried to put Skipper’s clothes on Barbie. Or, worse yet Barbie’s clothes on Ken. That sort of thing just isn’t done. Any child knows that.

This was a time when skin color wasn’t a major factor in choosing friends. The differences between races was “neat” and was anything but taboo. A perfect example of this is a little girl named Gina Marie. I’ll bet you can’t guess who this is about.

Well, little Gina Marie had a best friend named Yolanda. Yolanda’s skin was black. What little G.M. noticed most about Yolanda, however, wasn’t her skin color; It was her hair. Yolanda had the neatest little braids all over her head, and each was always tied with the coolest coordinating hair bands.

G.M. used to go home almost daily and cry because she wanted braids like Yolanda had. Well, one day G.M. got her wish. While she was eating dinner at Yolanda’s house, Yolanda’s mother offered to braid G.M.‘s hair. Within half an hour, both little girls had matching hairdo’s, and tremendous smiles.

Picture it. It was a touching, almost funny sight that both little girls would never forget. I know, because I am little Gina Marie. Big surprise right?

There’s another story about a little boy named Lee. It isn’t me this time. Lee was five and was enrolled in day camp. At day camp Lee encountered numerous black children who were also enrolled. After participating in many camp activities day in and day out, Lee and one of the black boys, Dem, became good friends. They were both shorter than all the other kids and quickly developed a sense of protectiveness toward each other.

Well, Lee was young, and had trouble remembering names. One day, out of the clear blue, Lee began to call Dem “pepper.” When Dem asked him why, Lee whispered in his ear. Dem smiled from ear to ear upon hearing the reason, and the two continued to play as they always did.

All the counselors were extremely confused and Lee refused to tell us what he had said. Weeks later, we asked Lee’s mother if she understood why he chose pepper. She blushed and said that Pepper was a brand new black lab puppy that he had just received for his birthday. His favorite, most prized, loved friend in the whole world. That’s exactly what Dem was to Lee.

Maybe children are more intelligent than we think.