Pokin' Fun
Out of the mouths of babes
'Doc' Blakely

Sam is what you might call a precocious child. Not a surprise to proud grandparents but described as an obvious genetic mutation to those who know his parents.

His DNA was dipped from pretty deep in the pool.

Sam is only 5 but has a keen insight into the world around him and uses the Socratic method of communication, asking questions and listening.

His favorite questions start with who, what, when, where, why and how.

Sam passes by my road pasture every day en route to intellectual pursuits with his mother.

"I'm going to have some cows and grass like that when I grow up," says the future tycoon.

"Where will you get the grass?" asks Mom. "Wal-Mart."

"And the cows?"

"Sam's."

Recently, on a trip to Houston with grandparents, Sam saw an overturned beer truck.

"What happened?" he asked.

Grandma explains that something probably broke and it just turned over.

"Why?"

"Oh, it was probably made in China," grinned Grandma.

"Where's China?"

"Far, far away."

"What do the people look like who live there?"

"Well, different from us. They are dark and speak a different language."

"What does it sound like?"

"Well, you can't understand a thing they say."

Later at Wal-Mart they heard a Mexican couple speaking Spanish.

"Are they Chinese?"

"No, that's a language they speak in Mexico."

"Are we in Mexico now?"

"No we're in the United States."

"Then for goodness sake why don't they speak English?

"This is America."

Sam has a few things to sort out yet but he's got a pretty good grasp of international politics and will no doubt be doing business some day from Beijing to Oaxaca.

Doc Blakely is an internationally known humorist and motivational speaker who resides in Wharton.