No, Nope, Nada, Zilch

I'm listening to cartoons in the periphery. Take no prisoners was something I just heard. Maybe that's what's going on here, too.

I've been saying "no" a lot lately. Not that I want to, but it seems like sometimes that's the first thing out of my mouth. After reviewing some of those "no-s", I'm wondering if I pause in reflection before saying anything, whether my response will shift. Of course, it could become a more emphatic "NO". Sometimes, with Sam, my nine-year-old, I have to go into the No song. (no no no no no no, and then higher, no no- no no -no no- no-no-no) Maybe i'm dating myself. Sometimes, perhaps last week, I turned to him and said, "What part of - no - don't you get? the N part or the O part?" Not too nice, or adultish, is it? But jeepers, now I know why my mother wanted a tape recorder!

Sometimes I have to swallow my "no". That doesn't feel to good, either. Or bite my tongue. Yikes.

There's been tons of times when I've said "yes" ---sometimes to my detriment. Maybe i'm just perfecting my "no-ability".