You Don't Want No . . .

"You don't want no cheese on that?" I just stared at the Wendy's Menu. I wasn't quite sure what the voice on the intercom said. My daughter, Emily and I were sitting in the drive through, grabbing some lunch to go.

Finally I said, "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"You don't want no cheese on that?"

I replied, "No thank you. No cheese."

Then I looked over at Emily. She was sitting in the passenger seat slightly shaking her head. A few hours later, I couldn't really remember anything about the lunch. I think maybe the fries were a little wimpy, and limp-like, but I honestly don't remember too much about the lunch. I do remember that the people were friendly at the two windows, first to pay and then to get our food. Emily didn't complain, and I soon forgot about it, so the food must have been OK.

Three days later though, that voice on the intercom has stuck with me. I tried to put a picture to that voice Somewhere along the line, she could have been in my class. She obviously spent a lot of years, sitting in language arts classes. It was a nasty, snowy day, and she was at work, so she probably was a hard worker. She was friendly, and polite, with good customer service in mind.

I have so many questions I would like to ask her.

Did your teachers ever mention double negatives?

Did you like school?

How did you do in school?

What kind of grades did you get in language arts?

Do you like to read?

How did you do on the "test?"

Did you graduate from high school?

Where did you go to school?

Does the Wendy's manager ever say anything about how you talk?

How long have you worked there?

Did your parents ever talk to you about your grammar?

Do you have kids?

Do you help them with their school work?

Did you ever think about college?

Do you think you might be a manager some day?

Did you ever consider that your dialect might limit you?

Have you traveled?

Who do you look up to?

Do you think how you speak matters?

I don't remember anything about that sandwich except I "didn't want no cheese on it." I sure have thought a lot about that voice on the intercom, though. I think there is a good chance that we will be having a few conversations about this in Reading Workshop.

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