Stupor Bowl Sunday

My sister once asked me if I meant to spell it that way. Yes, I did. I did go to a Super Bowl party once years ago, at my then boss's house. I brought my son who was probably about 12 years old. We stayed for the first half, but then made some excuses to get out. Not much of a party person. Now it's down to Kathy and me and some hot hors d'ouerves (never could spell that) and shrimp and cheese and crackers. This year we might even watch half time with Paul McCartney. Last year I wasn't paying attention for the big moment that seems to have dominated the news for an entire year. But that's not important.

Yesterday Shane and Max and I went to the zoo. I invited myself along, since I knew they go almost every Saturday. Max is our two and half year old grandson and Shane is his father. Shane jokes that Max has no inner dialogue, since everything he is thinking seems to come right out immediately. He is quiet for brief periods as he tries to puzzle out something new he's never seen before. "What's that?" "Tell me!" are his favorite phrases now. The other day Kathy made him some microwave macaroni and cheese and he declared, "You're the best food maker in the whole world!" How nice for her to finally be recognized.

So what does this have to do with careers, the supposed topic of this blog? I'm not sure, except that being a kid is a career for a two and half year old. His job is to explore and question and figure things out as he makes his way in the world. His job includes learning and practicing what he has learned. Everything he hears is part of what he is learning, so watch out--he's liable to repeat anything you say. He'll blurt an occasional "Dammit", just to see if we react, so we have to be cool about it. That seems to have faded, so our tactic worked. No one can pick out hypocrisy like a little kid, and I suppose that's part of his job too.