Odd place to find something to write about other than baseball, but I never know when inspiration for a Friday Perspective will come, or where I might be when it rushes in to take hold of my thoughts. Often, I am walking or driving, and I observe funny things. Other times, I just tell the story of an encounter that I have had with people or with nature. After sparking a funny thought in me, it blossoms into a new way of viewing a true relationship, ala a definition of perspective. This one began at a spring training baseball game when I overheard the conversation of a family sitting behind me.

The mom stated, probably not for the first time, that the grandma was being passive aggressive. Her curious young son asked what that was, so both mom and grandma detailed some explanations, probably a frequent occurrence with this inquisitive boy. A couple of minutes later, grandma said something else, so the boy asked if that was passive aggressive too. Grandma declared feistily, “No, that was aggressive aggressive!” The adults laughed, but during the pause the boy was processing these two phrases in his mind.

Then came the unexpected question, “What is aggressive passive?”

I turned around and said to all of them, “That was a great question!” It is so fascinating how young minds work. This was the third combination out of 4 for those two words. I am curious if he pondered what passive passive was, yet even to me, that does not sound interesting at all.

Mom asked what he thought aggressive passive meant, or to give an example. With possible forethought, the boy began a list of objects that did not move; a rock, a tree, a chair. He was staring into the air with each item.

Suddenly, he turned towards mom and added, “a doorknob.”

My mind raced and concluded that was a brilliant example. A doorknob that would not let you open the door. This inanimate doorknob cannot choose to move on its own, but passively turns to perform its duty. Instead, it resists you, an aggressive action, not letting you go where you want to go. To the frustrated person who was trying to enter, this would be close to an act of war. Amazing how a young pondering mind can arrive at a deep twist of our word usage.

I will be trying to make new memories today as I go to a home opener for the baseball season for the first time. May you have an inspired Happy Friday.