I am having breakfast this morning with my two granddaughters. It is a delightful time of interesting conversation, especially from the viewpoint of 2 and 4-year-old. We had eggs, toast, and a candy bracelet for dessert!
The 2-year-old picks up her slice of toast and starts eating it from the middle. Right in the middle! I found myself showing her the “correct” way of eating toast, from the outside in. Right? Isn’t this the way we have always eaten toast? You always go from the outside edge in, not inside out. But in the middle of my “correction”, I stopped and asked myself, why not? Why can’t this 2-year-old with limited experience enjoy her toast her way?
Of course, this got me thinking about how we as a people are creatures of habit. Many times, we close ourselves off to new ideas and thinking because it is “not the way we have always done it”. This kind of thinking could keep us from growing and experiencing new things, and quite possibly discovering and having better ideas.
By the way, eating toast from the middle is a little messier and seems less efficient. So, not all new ways are better, but you never know until you give it a try!
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