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Aleron is happily running around the playground, together with another child roughly his age, with long hair and a cheeky smile. It’s getting dark. They are the only ones left at the playground. Finally, we decide to call it a day.
Our son bids goodbye to his playmate and runs to us.
‘What’s the name of your friend?’ I say.
‘Oh. I didn’t ask.’
Aleron runs back to the friend and then returns.
‘The name is Malakhai.’
‘Is it a boy or a girl?’
‘Oh. I didn’t ask.’
I feel excitement mixed with exhilaration. Yes. That’s how it’s supposed to be.
‘That’s no problem.’
‘I’ll ask her next time,’ Aleron decides.
‘You don’t know if that’s a boy or a girl, so you cannot say “her”. For now, you can call your friend “they”.
‘But it’s only one person.’
‘Yes. But you use “you” for one person and for many people. “They” are the same.’
‘Oh. Okay. I’ll try.’
Yes, my child. I’m having trouble getting used to “they”, too. But I have friends now who prefer this pronoun, so I gotta break out of the usual thinking patterns. Let’s learn together.
Our son bids goodbye to his playmate and runs to us.
‘What’s the name of your friend?’ I say.
‘Oh. I didn’t ask.’
Aleron runs back to the friend and then returns.
‘The name is Malakhai.’
‘Is it a boy or a girl?’
‘Oh. I didn’t ask.’
I feel excitement mixed with exhilaration. Yes. That’s how it’s supposed to be.
‘That’s no problem.’
‘I’ll ask her next time,’ Aleron decides.
‘You don’t know if that’s a boy or a girl, so you cannot say “her”. For now, you can call your friend “they”.
‘But it’s only one person.’
‘Yes. But you use “you” for one person and for many people. “They” are the same.’
‘Oh. Okay. I’ll try.’
Yes, my child. I’m having trouble getting used to “they”, too. But I have friends now who prefer this pronoun, so I gotta break out of the usual thinking patterns. Let’s learn together.
