Can I even the score? May I?

No matter how hard I try, it is almost impossible for me to shed a few routine mistakes that I commit when it comes to the use of two very common and simple words --- CAN and MAY.

The interchangeability of these two words are acceptable in some situations but not in others and mom tried to set things right in vain (while daddy watched helplessly at her unashamed love affair with MR.Wren and MR. Martin).

Even when she tried to hit me in the head with that dusty tattered old book, this is one of the many things that refused to enter my microscopic brain.

It is not rocket science you say and it is pretty simple to understand that the word 'CAN' is usually used to imply the 'ability' to do something and 'MAY' is used when asking for 'permission'. May I do this...Can I do this. So simple DUH....Not for me.

Well since none other than mom complained about it, and since almost everyone was doing it, I let it slide.

And then a few years later as a young bride, I was invited by a nice 70 year old American couple for dinner.

Thanks to our Indian public bathrooms, like most of us, I too have trained my bladder never to use one. So liquid consumption is minimal before and during the time I wander outside the house.

However to be polite to the hostess, I had to use lots and lots of water to flush down the bland grilled meat (my palate had limited experience at that time).

However her apple pies made with apples from her backyard were to die for and after I mentioned it for the hundreth time, she finally got the clue and to my relief, she packed someto take home. Yippeee.

They were a nice couple and we spent longer than we had planned. But physiology waits for no man. And I couldnt control anymore and asked her, "Can I use the bathroom?" She gave me this puzzled look wondering why I would ask if I CAN use her CAN? But I was not in a position to clear her doubts and dashed off.

After reaching home, I told Dh that I almost gave her a scare whether I was infact potty trained.

Fast forward ..... During the past one year, I keep hearing one single line again and again throughout the day......Nope not a religious chant to keep me heaven bound.

Instead.... it is a non stop voice ....'mommy can I do this, Mommy can I do that', etc etc through out the day.

When I corrected her to ask for things in a polite way instead of her usual 'mommy I want this' or 'mommy give me that', little did I know that I was encouraging her to ask non stop.

Like mommy like daughter, she also mixes her CAN and MAY... So I decided to make dd learn this properly from the beginning.

After teaching her for a few days, I told her that I will delay obliging to her request for 2 minutes as a hint if she does not say the right word and I was overjoyed when she understood this game and slowly learnt their proper usuage too.

She also seemed to enjoy this game....or did she?

During a weekend park visit, I saw a giant wheel and asked her if she would like to go on one. The little one was terrfied and clinged to me and asked whether a giant had come to the park. I calmed her and pointed to the giant wheel.

she gave me the same puzzled look and as usual in her loud voice cried....."mommy you are wrong. That is not a giant wheel, it is a ferris wheel. See mommy there are only kids playing on it. There is no giant mommy. Dont be scared mommy".

Then over flowing with joy and almost rofl, she turned toward DH and said, "Daddy, mommy is wrong, mommy is wrong." The joy she had at my 'mistake' reflected how much she must have waited to finally correct me. Was I so annoying?

I panicked.....Me??? Wrong??? How can it be? After many years I have successfully programmed DH to believe that his wife can never be wrong. So he naively takes blame for everything that goes wrong.

Did mom's "blessings" that someday 'I face the same troubles that I gave her' coming true finally?. If this is a start, I am really terrified as I know what awaits me.

And if this is not an emrgency, then what is?. This cute little imp is giving ideas to daddy that there is a chance that mommy can be wrong (Gasp) and is changing the established natural order of things. How dare she? I fumed.

Nothing more to tell about the park visit as I was busy plotting about ways to put an end to this.

We reached home and she asked me with a sweet smile oblivious of the damage she has already done, "mommy can I watch cartoons now?"

I said, "Yes dear".....paused and then continued......"You CAN but you MAY not" and walked away with an evil grin as she continued with a 'but mommy.....'.

In revenge and in love woman is more barbaric than man is - FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE.

 

Thanks Srama for that delightful FB.

Yes, I am new to the snippets.

This is my third. (Previous ones - http://www.indusladies.com/forums/snippets-of-life-non-fiction/171331-all-for-want-of-feather.html and http://www.indusladies.com/forums/s...ion/168080-rip-van-winkle-my-scribblings.html)

I have seen the english matters thread and read a couple of pages. Had planned to make time to read it. Thanks for reminding me about that excellent thread.

 

Dear Kylie....Thanks for the FB and like.

Agreed...we were also under a lot of performance pressure during grammar exams because mom was an Englidh prof.

 

Dear Manju,
I only teach her that grammar. I dont exactly follow that....that is why she is also mixing it up constantly ....

So fear not. I do it all the time.

Guilty as charged.....OMR road....will avoid next time. Now that you say it, weird and funny. My husband has his biggest road rages here because he had to pay toll and yet buffaloes and cows are allowed for free.

 

That is a good one Mindian. Smart professor.