Rather, the Blogger household celebrates and educates.
At dinner last night:
YP: I don't have to go to school tomorrow!
Me:That's right. Do you know why?
YP: Nope. I just know I don't have to go.
NYAB: Oh, you do so understand why you have the day off. Whose birthday is January 15?
YP: Ummmm. Martin Luther King?
NYAB: Right. And we celebrate him when?
YP: The 19th, I guess.
NYAB: Close enough.
Me: Do you know why we celebrate him?
YP: Because he was one of the good guys?
Me: Nice try. What'd he do?
YP: Ummm. He had a dream.
Me: Yes. A dream of what?
YP: I don't know.
So we had a big long talk about civil rights and justice and segregation and discrimination and Rosa Parks and the whole ball of wax.
YP: I never had any dreams like that. I just have dreams about movies.
Me: Well, he didn't really mean like he went to sleep one night and this all came to him while he was sleeping. He meant a dream like he really wanted to see it happen one day.
YP: And it did!
Me: Yeah. But he didn't get to see it. And some would argue that's not true yet.
YP: Huh?
NYAB: Oh, let it go. It's all blablabla to him now. And he needs to get ready for bed.
YP: Can't I watch a movie first?
This morning, as I'm working and NYAB is sleeping:
YP: I don't have to go to school today!
Me: That's right. Do you remember why?
YP: Martin Luther King!
Me: And why do we celebrate him?
YP: Justice! Civil rights! Dreams! Freedom!
Me: Yes.
YP: ... Hey, do we have any movies about him?
Fantastic! You gotta regular Ron Howard there or baby Oliver Stone. If only there was a lego movie version of MLK's life. Get ready for the Malcolm X and Black Panthers discussion. I see the Spike Lee Film Fest in your future - Fight the Power!
Posted by: Sharidan | January 19, 2009 at 12:39 PM
Ho.ly.cow. You know your kid is smart... but did you know that he was a genius? Because... he is.
No, seriously. I mean, I catch on quick... but when I was... (what is he, like 10?)... I would have been hard pressed to remember something like that. Especially MLK jr's actual Birthday.
I mean, I'm lucky that I know it's sometime in January!
Posted by: modernfairie | January 19, 2009 at 06:55 PM
one. track. mind. LOVE!!
Posted by: Angela | January 23, 2009 at 11:39 AM