You know what I love? Children's complete lack of a filter. I love that they can't comprehend our ridiculous rules and just call it the way that they see it. If we didn't have these rules, some of my conversations would probably go like this:

Flo the Grocery Store Cashier as she picks up and reads my US Weekly (this actually happened, but in the real scenario I was polite.)
Flo - "Well, I cain't bulieve it. Cain you BULIEVE it? I mean, I cannot bulieve *celebrity name here* took all them drugs. I mean it's like if Jeff Gordon were to do sumthun like that. I mean, would you a thunk it?"
Me - "Um. Yeah."
Flo - "HEY DOREEN! YEAH, DOREEN! COME OVUR HERE! *CELEBRITY NAME HERE* BEEN TAKIN' ALL KINE O' THEM IL-LEGAL DRUGS! CAIN YOU BULIEVE 'AT?"
Me - Looking at Flo in disbelief and staring wide-eyed, trying to give her the hint to MOVE ON.
Flo - "I jus' cain't bulieve this," as she sympathetically shakes her head.
Child Me - "Well I can believe it because it happens everyday. Just go ahead and scan the damn thing so I can get out of here. By the way, Doreen looks like she doesn't give a flip. Stinky, poopy head."
Real Me - Wait politely until she puts down the magazine and finishes scanning my items. When she's done, I say "Thank you!" like we're BFFs and walk out.

Another true story. My parents and I went to a fast food fish joint for dinner one night and got into a lengthy discussion about one of my favorite topics - food. Sitting next to us is an employee. He's a string bean of a guy in his early 20's. To protect the innocent, let's call him Cletus.
Me - "Oh Dad. I made the best meal the other night. I cooked some black eyed peas with salted pork and mixed greens with a ham hock. Yummers. But my corn pones were terrible. The dogs didn't even want them."
Dad - "Well when are we coming over for dinner?"
Me, Dad and Mom - Laughter.
Cletus - "You know what's good? Chicken Bog."
Me - "Excuse me?"
Cletus - "I said Chicken Bog. It's like a stew with rice and chicken and sausage. It's really good. I'm from the Carolinas and we're known for that."
Me - "Um. Yeah."
Cletus - "Yeah. It's really good. But I cain't tell you my secrut ingredient."
Child Me - "Guess what. Chicken Bog is a grody name for food. Now I'm gonna eat my grody fast food fish and hang out with the parentals. You can keep the bog and your secret ingredient to yourself. Pfffttttt!"
Real Me - "Wow. That's great. Thanks for sharing. I may try it one day." I turn to Mom and Dad and give them that is-he-for-real look.

Yup. That's right folks. I am a magnet for people with inappropriate conversation starting skills. I must have that I'll-be-nice-to-anyone face. I just thought I had an Asian face. But whatever.

Back to the point. My four year old daughter's sweet innocence is still unfiltered. I love that she says I have bad breath in the morning, stinky feet when I wear those old shoes and a squishy bottom. She speaks the truth without judgment. She still loves everyone, even with their imperfections. There is a freedom in children that adults lose. And for some reason, we continue to shape our children so they can become like us -to grow up to be people too afraid to tell the total truth because sometimes the truth harbors painful judgment. Thankfully we'll eventually get there again as elderly folks who aren't afraid to yell at young punk kids, drive turtle speed in the fast line without a care and fart in the pharmacy.