That Parable of the Child Who Was Not Six Years Old

One day while teaching, Josh was asked, ”Teacher, how is it that the leak taken the place of the old-fashioned press release?”

Josh spoke thus:

A child was looking at a toy in a shop window with its parents.

“How long till my birthday?” the child asked.

“Your birthday’s not for a while,” one of the child’s parents said.

“I’m five and a half, aren’t I?” the child.

“You sure are,” the parent said.

“Is five and a half old enough to have a toy like that?” the child asked.

“I think you need to be six to have a toy like that,” the child’s parent said.

“So I’m not old enough to have a toy like that?” the child asked.

“That’s right, you’re not old enough to have a toy like that,” the parent said.

“But when I’m six, I’ll be old enough,” the child said.

“When your six, you’ll be old enough,” the parent said.

“And I’ll be six my next birthday,” the child said.

“And you’ll be six your next birthday,” the parent said.

“Still N-O-T, O-L-D, E-N-O-U-G-H,” the other parent spelled out.

“Will I get that on my next birthday?” the child asked.

“We’ll have to wait and see,” the first parent said.

“N-O-T, Y-E-T,” the second child spelled out.

“M-A-Y-B-E,” the first parent spelled.

“T-O-O, Y-O-U-N-G,” the second parent spelled out.

“‘M-A-Y-B-E’ spells ‘maybe,’” the child said, “So maybe I will be old enough?”

Both parents sighed.

“Where did you learn to spell so well?” the first parent asked.

“The Internet,” the child said.

“You go on the Internet?” the first parent asked. The first parent stared at the second parent, “When do you go on the Internet?”

“N-O!” the second parent spelled out.

“It is so the Internet,” the child said, “I-P-L-A-Y-S-O-F-T means Internet!”

The first parent recognized the tablet software the child played with.

“Well, if you’re big enough for the Internet, you’re big enough for a toy like that,” the first parent said to the child.

The child turned to the second parent and asked, “What else am I big enough for?”

The second parent looked to the first parent and spelled, “H-E-L-P!”