In Which I Chat With My Son About Getting Older and About Appropriate Role Models
SCENE: our children, dancing and flouncing around the living room with swords, chanting "Jar Jar Binks, Jar Jar Binks, Jar Jar Binks**!" In an enthusiastic inflection that would lead one to believe that Jar Jar Binks was their Simon Bolivar, with them being Bolivia.
"Children,"
I said, with great condescension,
"Let's talk about heroes. Who is one of your actual heroes?"
My son did not hesitate.
- "Luke Skywalker's father."
"Do you know who Luke Skywalker's father is?"
- "Yep. Darth Vader."
"Then why didn't you just say 'Darth
Vader'?"
- "Because I wanted to call him 'Luke Skywalker's father.' And another one of my heroes is Darth Maul."
"How about some real heroes; some heroes that are real and not imaginary?"
Huge grin.
- "Umm...Darth Vader and Darth
Maul. They're actually real, Daddy."
"No they're not. And neither is Jar
Jar Binks. He, especially, is not a hero; he is a rather...annoying character. It is very sad that you would think he is a hero."
- "Well I like him."
"YOU HAVE NEVER EVEN SEEN ANY OF THE STAR WARS MOVIES!"
- "When can I watch them, Daddy?"
"When you're eighteen."
- "Eighteen? Are you joking?"
"How old do YOU think you should be to watch them?"
- "Three."
____
I am thirty-seven, so I may wear a cape today. Because I can.
**this knowledge is gleaned from a hardcover Star Wars encyclopedia they tag-teamed on picking up at the library and have been poring over
*composited from several mini-conversations over the space of an evening
Good day, all.
"Children,"
I said, with great condescension,
"Let's talk about heroes. Who is one of your actual heroes?"
My son did not hesitate.
- "Luke Skywalker's father."
"Do you know who Luke Skywalker's father is?"
- "Yep. Darth Vader."
"Then why didn't you just say 'Darth
Vader'?"
- "Because I wanted to call him 'Luke Skywalker's father.' And another one of my heroes is Darth Maul."
"How about some real heroes; some heroes that are real and not imaginary?"
Huge grin.
- "Umm...Darth Vader and Darth
Maul. They're actually real, Daddy."
"No they're not. And neither is Jar
Jar Binks. He, especially, is not a hero; he is a rather...annoying character. It is very sad that you would think he is a hero."
- "Well I like him."
"YOU HAVE NEVER EVEN SEEN ANY OF THE STAR WARS MOVIES!"
- "When can I watch them, Daddy?"
"When you're eighteen."
- "Eighteen? Are you joking?"
"How old do YOU think you should be to watch them?"
- "Three."
____
I am thirty-seven, so I may wear a cape today. Because I can.
**this knowledge is gleaned from a hardcover Star Wars encyclopedia they tag-teamed on picking up at the library and have been poring over
*composited from several mini-conversations over the space of an evening
Good day, all.