As I mentioned in a previous blog, family stories can be a treasure trove of inspiration for stories to write. It can also be a great source of characters, jokes, and memorable lines. Outside of writing, they can also be a source of personal inspiration or laughter, both of which are things that we all need. One of my biggest sources of inspiration and laughter is my son, Joe. He has such a unique way of looking at the world, can be so matter-of-fact, and is so unpredictable that you cannot know him without learning things from him. Here are a few brief glimpses at stories that can only come from a child.
Joe showed me an assignment that he had completed at school. It contained sentences that had to be completed by the students. One of the sentences caught my eye. The sentence was "Sometimes I feel ______." Joe filled in the blank with the word "small." As a parent, reading this bothered me.
"Joe, what do you mean that sometimes you feel small."
Joe gave me 'the look.' He has this incredible ability to look at you as if he is asking why you don't already know. "Daddy," he replied in the accompanying know-everything voice, "it's a big world." At least he didn't add the word "duh" to the end of his sentence. I stopped being bothered.
Joe also has a remarkable way of being able to entertain himself. When he was about three or four years old, he went to visit his grandparents in another state. I picked him and my wife up at the airport and started driving them home. Partway home, it occurred to me that my poor son had been stuck in his car seat for untold hours and was probably bored out of his mind. I thought I would strike up a conversation and maybe sing a song with him to brighten things up. I glanced in the mirror to begin that conversation, but realized I was too late. He had begun a conversation of his own. He held both of his hands up like puppets, and he had them talking to each other.
"You talk a lot," stated Character 1.
"Yes I do," replied Character 2.
"You talk a lot," said Character 1 more strenuously.
"Yes I do," replied Character 2 in the same calm voice.
"You talk a lot!" Character 1 shouted.
"Yes I do," Character 2 continued in the same calm voice once again.
This exact conversation continued for ten minutes down the interstate while my wife and I listened in amused confusion. Later that day, I walked up to Joe, made my hand into a puppet, and said, "Hey Joe! You talk a lot!" He looked at me like I had lost my mind. I just nodded and walked away.
This all just barely scratches the surface of the wonder of my child...or any child, to be honest. So what stories make you smile?
