Years ago, when I was a baseball card dealer, I would set up a table at weekend-long shows and buy and sell sports cards. At one show, a boy who looked to be about eight years old pointed at the 1962 Jim Brown card I had in my glass display case of valuable cards and asked me how much it was. The price was clearly marked but I was always happy to talk to customers. “That’s Jim Brown, one of the all-time great running backs,” I said. “It’s twenty-five dollars.” He looked confused. Very earnestly, he asked, ” How much is that in real life?”
I felt a smile spreading across my face as I looked at him, not knowing what to say. What a great question! On one level, it made no sense, but in his world it was perfectly logical. It reminded me of the “kid logic” I remember all too well from my own childhood. Things that made perfect sense to me actually made no sense at all. For instance, I loved bowling and it seemed obvious to me that the best way to get the ball down the lane was to start by standing at the foul line instead of taking four or five steps to get there. I vividly remember thinking that, and it still makes me laugh how sure I was of myself at the time.
Nearly three decades later, when something of no intrinsic value (like a photo on a piece of cardboard) seems to be overpriced, I can’t help but think, “How much is that in real life?”
ABOUT PHIL BOLSTA
Phil is the author of Sixty Seconds: One Moment Changes Everything, a collection of 45 inspiring, life-changing stories from prominent people he interviewed, including Joan Borysenko, Deepak Chopra, geneticist Dr. Francis Collins, acclaimed sportswriter Frank Deford, Dr. Larry Dossey, Wayne Dyer, Dan Millman, Caroline Myss, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, Dr. Bernie Siegel, James Van Praagh, singer Billy Vera, Doreen Virtue, Neale Donald Walsch, and bassist Victor Wooten.
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Tags: football cards, Jim Brown, kid logic
October 30, 2010 at 4:22 PM
Once, pointing to the digital clock, I was explaining to my son we didn’t have time for his requested activity. He simply backed-up the time on the clock and said, “There, now we have plenty of time!” I LOVE kid logic!
October 30, 2010 at 4:46 PM
An excellent example, Lori! That’s awesome!
November 2, 2010 at 5:55 PM
Hi Phil, this posting brought back an observation I made at a recent funeral for a family member. At the cemetery, as they were lowering the casket down, a little boy, maybe 5 years old, looking confused, tugged on his father’s hand. “Daddy, if heaven is up…why are they putting grandma down there?” Despite the solemness of the occasion, I noticed smiles appear on faces of those around him.
November 2, 2010 at 6:03 PM
An excellent example of kid logic, Tsenre. Thanks for sharing it!