Pa on Mars

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We are sitting at the kitchen table eating dinner and my 10-year-old son starts rattling off all this stuff about Mars.  I mean, he really rattled it off; facts figures, theories and the history of exploration.  “Where did you hear all that?” I ask in quiet awe of this seed of my loins, this progeny of my potency. “I learned it at school today,” he replies. Now, I being a father of great perspicacity, immediately recognise THE LEARNING MOMENT!  Yes, here is my opportunity to take that spark of knowledge and build it into an inferno of inquiry, a veritable cognitive conflagration!  In short, I shall lead him into the light.   I rattle off a few offhand facts of my own.  “Did you know that?” I say with only a hint of provocation. “No,” he answers looking up from his mashed potato.  He looks just a bit dismayed like he wishes he had said nothing.  Well, my boy, do never challenge an old warrior. I am on a roll.  “When you finish dinner, “ I announce gazing benevolently around the table, “ we will get on the Internet and find the NASA site.  From there we will find facts and photographs to awe and amaze.  We will Google until you have more information than you can poke a stick at. ”  I pause in the pregnant silence. “Well,” I beam, “what do you say to that?” My son loves me.  He is a gentle boy and wise.  He looks up at me with eyes that know no guile. He says gently and with great patience, “Dad, I said I learned it; I didn’t say I enjoyed it.” 

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