RM colum January 4 - WHHHAAATTTT

RM column January 4 - WHHHAAATTTT

ONE of the things that used to annoy my Mum no end when I was a kid growing up was the ‘WHAAAATT’ scenario.

You know the one; she would call me because she wanted me to do something or help her and I am elsewhere in the house. When she called I replied back ‘Whhhatttt’ only for her to call me again and for me to once again shout back ‘Whhhatttt’ before she would irritatedly yell ‘I need you, come here NOW’.

Her response to that was always the same ‘when I call you, you come’ and over the last while I have found myself becoming my Mum circa 1980 as there have been more than a couple of occasions where the Young Wan and I have been in exactly the same situation.

And it is more than frustrating and something that has seemed more so recently because of the house move. This has meant at times I have found myself with a heavy bag perched over my head and about to tumble down causing either damage to myself or something around me.

And I have called for the Young Wan and she answers ‘WHAAAATT’ so I call again a little more urgently and get the same response before I start yelling “when I call you, I want you; I do not want to hear ‘what’”.

This is made all the worse by the fact that we do not live in a mansion with an east and west wing. There is no need to yell for someone in a house which is small and compact that you could practically touch them if you reached out far enough.

So enough of the yelling back, just come now because you are needed. Or maybe it is because she is going deaf, recent research has shown that smoking stops teens from listening to adults.

I have already said before the Young Wan has had her dalliances with smoking (I won’t go into it anymore for fear of ranting and raving about my complete and utter dismay at this).

Maybe this research explains the recent ‘Whhhatttt’ factor. Apparently nicotine disrupts brain signals in young people making it harder for them to concentrate on what parents and teachers are saying to them. Ha that sounds like a handy excuse to me.

“Sorry I cannot follow what you are saying because I have been smoking ciggies behind the bike sheds so I am going to ignore you.”

It is funny that research shows this, you could also put the slant on it that if a teenager is going to smoke they are probably going to be a little more mischievous that a child that doesn’t and probably less likely to listen to people in positions of authority.

In many instances research can probably be shown to prove and disprove all manners of theories.

I have a few of my own and many of them involve laziness.