Thursday, January 05, 2006

Back Seat Conversation

One of the more entertaining things to do in the van going to and from Minnesota was listening to Emily and my niece Hillary’s conversations in the back seat. Unfortunately I couldn’t always hear everything but I took furtive notes now and then of what I caught.

Hillary: (Something about going to South Dakota [when the time comes] to get a nice farm boy)
Like Matt.
Emily: But he’s never farmed.
Hillary: But he’s worked in grass seed. That’s like farming.
Emily: Nuh-uh! It’s like clear different.
Hillary: Farm boys have better values.
(The conversation continues and Emily somehow convolutes it to mean that Hillary is actually actively looking for a guy now.)
Emily: I would not decide to marry someone when I was like 16!
Hillary: Here’s the POINT. It doesn’t mean I’m SEARCHING just cuz I notice cute guys.
Emily: You’re like, let’s go talk to so-and-so.
Hillary: I’m saying, flirting and searching are not the same thing!
Emily: Well either way. So you’re saying, you’d rather be known as a flirt than searching?
Hillary: No!
Emily: Then what do you call THAT?
(Hillary tries to explain. Emily keeps misunderstanding.)
Emily: I was SAYING that there’s no point in searching NOW because what if you meet the right guy and you’re too young to get married for YEARS?
(At this point my pen runs dry. So does the conversation, except I know enough to stop trying to write and Emily continues to push her point.)

Quote of the Day:
"With a ravishing swagger, half-lifted wings, and deep, gutteral hissing, the lover approached again."
-- the first thing Hillary read in Grandma’s copy of Freckles when she picked up the book and opened it at random. Emily and Hillary fell all over each other laughing. They do not hope for this kind of behavior in that future South Dakota farm boy.

3 comments:

  1. do I actually qualify as a "nice farm boy?" I'm flattered. Sort of.
    -Matt

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  2. as hillarys mother i heard her version of this story, that emily insisted she was a flirt and that matt was not a farm boy. fortunately hillary caught the humor of emily always needing to be right!!!!!!!!!!!! glad hillary has matt as the ruler to hold others up to. Thanks Matt!!

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  3. Well, for a bit of context here, Emily and I were talking about how frustrating high school guys can be, and I said half-jokingly that it would be better just to find some nice farm boy. Most of my very nice cousins (including Matt) have had some agricultural experience. But anyway, this was mostly just a joke, and not intended for anyone to take it too seriously. :)
    Hillary

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