C is for "Complicated"

We make the world a much harder place than it needs to be.  We fight and argue over trivial matters and arrive at complex conclusions that take years to understand.  And although us grown-ups have grown accustomed to the difficulties of the world, we place an unfair burden on the babies.

From some mysterious ether, they arrive, due to our own personal wants.  They spend nine months, safe in a warm cocoon, unaware of the dangers and complexities that lie behind that embryonic wall.  Suddenly, without warning, they our thrust into our world and wave after wave of new, frightening information comes pouring into their tiny minds.  It is too much knowledge for our great philosophizers to handle and we expect these newborns to just roll with the flow and join our society.

From day one, they have to start learning.  How to move, how to control their bodily functions, and eventually, how to communicate.  They are born without language and must be instructed to learn the tongue of those in their immediate vicinity.  They learn to manipulate sounds and identify symbols used to represent our communicative styles.  And since there are an infinite number of things to discuss, the new process can be quite overwhelming.

Letters can do so many things!  They represent sounds and ideas and they can change on a whim depending on the context.  How can our toddlers keep up with this ever-evolving system?

Fortunately, there is one beast that understands their plight.  A creature that only relies on his natural urges and infantile desires to continue his existence.  That wonderful being is the Cookie Monster.

The calm before the storm

As soon as the child discovers the treasure that is the cookie, life becomes meaningful.  We are put on this Earth to partake in this wondrous dessert.  Whether it be warm and gooey with a chocolate center, or crispy and cool with a caramelized crunch, this round treat from the bakery can solve all of our problems.   This sugared goddess, the companion of milk, the righter of wrongs, and the solace in the hurricane of life is all the young child needs.  Life comes with joys, and it is up to us to enjoy them.

And so, when we're learning to speak, A can be for "apple," and "aardvark" and "alimony," and B can be for "bread" and "banana" and "bourgeoisie," but C?

C is for "cookie."

That's good enough for me.