A seven year-old I know has found an adult’s iPhone and is transfixed by an age-appropriate game.
We were flying to a city he’s going to for the first time so I asked him to check the weather on a one-click program. Without taking a beat from the game he said “It won’t be raining.”
I asked how he knew that without checking the weather. Then I asked how cold it would be and if we’d need a coat. He said “only a light jacket.” All without checking the weather.
So in the end I checked the weather, ascertained that it would be 45 degrees cooler than the departure city and we did, indeed need warmer clothing. When I mentioned that he asked me about frostbite. The lesson to this camper and cub scout is that you always have to pack for any contingency, as frostbite happens when you don’t have the right plan and/or the right clothing and gear.
Today, my dear nephew, you get an F for helping an old lady across the street, or checking the weather at her final destination. Let’s hope you do better meeting your oaths to family and scouts when you fly out to visit. You know we love you and look forward to seeing you.
Ah, the benefit of school, paying attention and staying in it long enough to learn how to earn a living and live a life. When we adults meet we always have such different stories about where we came from, where we went to college, different cities and countries in which we’ve lived.
Jim and I both grew up in small towns that we visit on a regular basis, even though they are far from each other. Both were farming communities. We left. I left because I was 12 and my family moved to the city. He left for college and another world.
We were both smart kids, but he’s brilliant and I’m smart in different ways. We play off each other and that makes a lifetime together. So, he introduced our nephew to a computer game and created a monster. We look forward to hosting him and his grandmother next week and seeing real mountains, museums and nature. Yes, he’ll still want the computer games but there’s a lot to offer here and I hope he takes advantage of it. Cheers! Dee
