Sophia, at age 2, has thought as much, if not more about 9/11 than many adults I know. There are many surprising parts to this simple, four-minute piece: "I wasn't in the building that crashed" says Sophia in response to whether the story makes her sad. "our building is ok". I haven't heard many little kids on the radio, but Michael shows that if you build a rapport with them, they can express themselves with clarity and conviction. In this piece, the result is a simple, yet powerful peek into how one person, in this case a toddler, deals with a huge issue. Play this not just on the 9/11 anniversary, but anytime, as a look into how children deal with world issues--how they absorb and interpret the world around them.
Reading through Michael Johnson profile, his credentials speak for themselves. But in this touching, if not a bit troubling interview with his two-year-old daughter, Sophia, we also get to learn a bit about Michael as a concerned parent. The events of September 11th touched most of us, especially for those who watched it live on TV, like I did. I often wonder what the impact of violent news has on children, and this short segment gave me a real feel for how a toddler interprets what we adults so often tune out. What struck me most about the reaction of Sophia was the playful abandonment portrayed about a subject that is totally incomprehensible to a young child, not to mention most adults. About how her description of "the New York people" morphed into "the die people." Add Michaels top-notch introspective, and this is radio at it’s best!
Two year old Sophia's few innocent words and behavior capture the most immediate, basic and diverse human reactions to that haunting event. Extraordinary!
This perfectly-paced and touching story reminds me how seldom we hear children's voices on the radio. How seldom we really listen to what children say, and think, and feel.
The piece is timely, on this fourth anniversary of September 11. It's been long enough to reflect on how we've changed. How our children have grown. It's been long enough to to be able to relive that morning through the innocent truth-telling of an insightful and articulate two-year-old.
The piece touches on the question of whether children should watch disturbing images on TV. Whether parents should tell their children "parental white lies" to shield them from disturbing reality.
This father doesn't want to tell his daughter those white lies, and he couldn't shield her from the images -- she watched them at a friend's house. So instead, he talks to his daughter. He asks her what she understands about what happened on Sept. 11. He listens to her. She helps him understand. It didn't happen here. "I don't like the story of New York," she says. Neither do any of us. But what this piece reveals is that when bad things happen, one thing we can do is to talk to each other, listen to each other, and try to understand.
A touching perspective on 9/11, through the eyes of a two year old child. As Sophia's father grapples with how much truth to tell his daughter, she displays a disarming understanding of what happened. "Our building is okay," she reassures herself. But is it? The recent images of New Orleans come to mind. Children today have a lot more to worry about than if Santa is real. Sensitively written and narrated, this gently paced piece should find a place on any station on September 11th - or in any discussion about the impact of television images on young hearts and minds.
Comments for Talking 2 Sophia: A Child Speaks about 911
Produced by Michael Johnson
Other pieces by Michael Johnson
Rating Summary
5 comments
Sarah Elzas
Posted on November 15, 2005 at 07:05 AM | Permalink
Review of Talking 2 Sophia
Sophia, at age 2, has thought as much, if not more about 9/11 than many adults I know. There are many surprising parts to this simple, four-minute piece: "I wasn't in the building that crashed" says Sophia in response to whether the story makes her sad. "our building is ok". I haven't heard many little kids on the radio, but Michael shows that if you build a rapport with them, they can express themselves with clarity and conviction. In this piece, the result is a simple, yet powerful peek into how one person, in this case a toddler, deals with a huge issue. Play this not just on the 9/11 anniversary, but anytime, as a look into how children deal with world issues--how they absorb and interpret the world around them.
Miles Eddy
Posted on November 11, 2005 at 12:34 PM | Permalink
Review of Talking 2 Sophia
Reading through Michael Johnson profile, his credentials speak for themselves. But in this touching, if not a bit troubling interview with his two-year-old daughter, Sophia, we also get to learn a bit about Michael as a concerned parent. The events of September 11th touched most of us, especially for those who watched it live on TV, like I did. I often wonder what the impact of violent news has on children, and this short segment gave me a real feel for how a toddler interprets what we adults so often tune out. What struck me most about the reaction of Sophia was the playful abandonment portrayed about a subject that is totally incomprehensible to a young child, not to mention most adults. About how her description of "the New York people" morphed into "the die people." Add Michaels top-notch introspective, and this is radio at it’s best!
Emon Hassan
Posted on September 12, 2005 at 10:36 AM | Permalink
Review of Talking 2 Sophia
Two year old Sophia's few innocent words and behavior capture the most immediate, basic and diverse human reactions to that haunting event. Extraordinary!
Catherine Girardeau
Posted on September 09, 2005 at 09:28 PM | Permalink
Review of Talking 2 Sophia
This perfectly-paced and touching story reminds me how seldom we hear children's voices on the radio. How seldom we really listen to what children say, and think, and feel.
The piece is timely, on this fourth anniversary of September 11. It's been long enough to reflect on how we've changed. How our children have grown. It's been long enough to to be able to relive that morning through the innocent truth-telling of an insightful and articulate two-year-old.
The piece touches on the question of whether children should watch disturbing images on TV. Whether parents should tell their children "parental white lies" to shield them from disturbing reality.
This father doesn't want to tell his daughter those white lies, and he couldn't shield her from the images -- she watched them at a friend's house. So instead, he talks to his daughter. He asks her what she understands about what happened on Sept. 11. He listens to her. She helps him understand. It didn't happen here. "I don't like the story of New York," she says. Neither do any of us. But what this piece reveals is that when bad things happen, one thing we can do is to talk to each other, listen to each other, and try to understand.
David Swatling
Posted on September 05, 2005 at 03:10 AM | Permalink
Review of Talking 2 Sophia
A touching perspective on 9/11, through the eyes of a two year old child. As Sophia's father grapples with how much truth to tell his daughter, she displays a disarming understanding of what happened. "Our building is okay," she reassures herself. But is it? The recent images of New Orleans come to mind. Children today have a lot more to worry about than if Santa is real. Sensitively written and narrated, this gently paced piece should find a place on any station on September 11th - or in any discussion about the impact of television images on young hearts and minds.