Editor's Notebook

I remember when a co-worker brought her pre-school age son with her to work. The youngster was struggling with the concept of time. When he wanted something, he wanted it now. It was hard for him to wait and I quickly tired of telling him repeatedly he would have to wait a specified time only to have him ask again in 5 minutes if the time had passed.

We made progress when I learned to describe a delay not in the number of days but instead in a number of sleeps. He didn’t understand when I said Saturday was two days away but he understood it if I said Saturday was two sleeps away.

It isn’t unco...