Conversations by Car

Jack is a fun passenger to have in the car every afternoon on the way home from school. I have become the mom that says to the child, "What did you do at school today?" just to prompt the conversation. His response is the equivalent of the teenage "Nothing." At five years old it goes like this, "Played." End of conversation. A big disappointment for mom.

But through experimentation, I have discovered that it's sometimes better just to be silent and wait for the conversation to come. When prompted, the talk is uniform and predictable. If I don't invade his thoughts, they'll come spilling out in very random and fun ways. Jack has great potential when allowed freedom as a backseat conversationalist.

Yesterday it was "Mom, where is the future? Is it up in the sky? When can we go there? Do they come to us in their flying cars at night when we sleep? When can we have a flying car?"

On another day, it was an explanation of why we can't see the red faces of the stopsigns that are intended for oncoming traffic. It is not that they are simply turned around backwards to face that traffic, but rather that they have been "turned invisible by a superhero that goes to Keaton's church."

Occasionally it is a shameless plug for paid programming that comes up. "Mom, I want to clap my hands and make the lights come on. They have that on the commercial at grandma's house. That would be so nice. I think we should get that."

Today I was without Jack though, and since Emma is not much of a talker yet, I was left to my own devices. On came the radio... the Big 80's station, unfortunately. So, if I had been sitting in your backseat right then, I would have not-so-randomly asked, "What the heck is Night Ranger saying in the chorus of Sister Christian?"

"( Annoying 3-syllable mystery worrrrrd ) , What's your price for flight? In finding Mr. Right? You'll be alriiiight.... tonight."

And then, I'd look out the window and say, "Man, I hate this song."