This morning

Some mornings, the boys will ask if we can go a different way so they can look at murals in the city, or to look at statues.  Richmond, a capital “southern” city with lots of war and presidential history, and which also has a prolific art school, has lots to offer.  One favorite mural is the “angry panda”.  (The boys have named these.  I am sure they have names officially.)  

We like how when it is raining, the gutter right above pours roof runoff so it looks like he is lapping it up.  We wonder if this was purposeful.  We also like the “robot hyena”. They just stare at them.

This morning they wanted to see the statue of George Washington.  

To Heath any statue is George Washington because "he is the first president".  Usually I drive by the capital slowly and point.  This morning, I pulled in.  As expected, Capital Police stepped in front of the car.  This is also the entrance to the Governor’s mansion.  I rolled down windows so he could see the boys and asked if we could just circle the monument.  He stalled, then said yes, nicely, and told us when they allowed official tours so we could come back for more. 

Then Heath: “Do you ride a horsey?” Him: “No.  No, I ride in that car right there.” Heath: Are you a gooood policeman?”  Him: (pause) “Well, I like to think I am a good one.”  Then Heath stares, squinting at him.  And Alder is staring the whole time, studying him, saying nothing at all.  

Heath, again: “ Are you good?”

Alright, then me.  “Well we haven’t talked to them about any bad ones, so that makes you good sir.  Heath, his work is to help us.  That’s what he is doing right now.  He’s going to let us look at the statues.”  Him: “That’s right I keep the bad people away." 

Oohkaaaaayyyyyy...  I’d’ve appreciated something a little less dramatic.  Maybe something like, “Yep, so go enjoy the statues and have a good day there, little men.”  There are other ways to help people aside from defending us from all the bad people. 

Basically, we wrapped it up and made our slow circle around the statues.  Alder: “Daddy, why are the presidents all holding swords and guns?”  Heath: “Are they bad people?”  Me: “Uh, well those presidents were in wars to protect our country’s people a long time ago.  They probably didn’t like having to do it.”  Heath:  “They are not bad?”  Me: “I don’t know.  I didn’t know them.  I think they were good .”  Heath: “So, are presidents good only sometimes?”  Me: “Yes, they are trying to be good all the time though.”

This could have been closer to a perfect lesson.  It did wrap back into a conversation at the beginning of the drive about what the world would be like if everyone hurt each other’s bodies/feelings versus what if we all worked to make each other happy.  That seemed to click.  And, we all agreed that every little good thing we do is good for the whole world.  But then the (for some reason) questionable police man, allowing us to look at the high, larger than life statues of good, but sort of bad presidents, holding weapons… muddied good and bad all up. 

I am sure there will be other chances to fine tune this.  After all, its confusing for adults too.  We also talked about how all adults have to work all the time to only do good things. Heath: “My teachers are adults.  Grown-ups and adults are the same thing, Daddy.”  And so goes the conversations on the way to school, each like a migrating butterfly – heading somewhere specific, but freakin all over the place on the way.  You can cover alot of ground in a car with no radio.