In the words of Annie Lennox....

WHY..............

It amazes me how little people really think about anything these days. Myself included. The girls for whom I babysit, now two and a half, are in the "why" stage. This means everything is "why?" It's actually kind of funny, because when I say "everything is 'why?'" I mean everything. Some of it makes sense, and some of it doesn't. For example:

Girls: Why carrots and apples and cheese for snack today?
Me: Because that's what your mom decided to make for you to eat today.
Girls: Why mom make that?
Me: Because your mom likes you to eat healthy, so you can grow up to be healthy and happy adults.
Girls: Why?
Me: Because that's what most parents want for their kids - health and happiness.
Girls: Why?
Me: Because they love you and want the best for you.
Girls: Why?
Me: Uhhhh...welll....because....OK. You love mommy and daddy, right?
Girls: Yes.
Me: Do you want bad things for them?
Girls: No.
Me: What kind of things do you want for them?
Girls: Good things!
Me: Riiiiiiiiight. And they love you, just like you love them, and so they want good things for you just like you want good things for them.
Girls: Oh.

So that all made sense to me. But then we have exchanges like this:

Girls: Why door?
Me: What do you mean, "Why door?"
Girls: What's that? (pointing to door)
Me: You know what that is. What is that?
Girls: Front door.
Me: Right.

What the hell? "Why door?" But the thing is, I think it's great that they have so many questions, and want to know about the world, and I don't want to squash that by saying something like "Just because." Kids' whole job is to learn about the world, and as their babysitter it's my whole job to help them. So I try really hard to answer their questions. Which reminds me that although I like to think I'm a person who really thinks about life and explores the depths of knowledge available to me, I really don't. I have to get really creative sometimes to answer their questions, and sometimes I have to tell them I don't know or pull out my laptop and google it for them. Jay's favorite example of my creativity follows (Jay being the man I have found to kiss, mentioned in a previous post):

Girls: Why the truck make a lot of noise?
Me: Uhhh...well, because machines that do big jobs make a lot of noise.
Girls: Why?
Me: Uhhh...because they're working so hard they can't be quiet. You know how when you make a big poop sometimes you grunt? Because you're working so hard? The machines are like that - they're working SO hard that they have to make noise.
Girls: Oh.

It's not entirely untrue, is it? It's at least true in a general sense and it's on a level they can understand and relate to. But when I think about it, why do big trucks make so much noise? Is there a way to make them quieter?

It just goes to highlight the old adage of "the more you learn, the more you realize how little you know."

But this not thinking phenomenon extends further than myself, the two year olds I babysit, and big trucks. File the next story under the "If I ran the world things would be run a different way" header...

At the beginning of this summer I established Massachusetts residency, thus becoming an official "Masshole." Establishing residency is pretty easy - get a liscence, transfer your voting privileges up here, and you're set. So I headed out to the Boston RMV (Registry of Motor Vehicles) to get my lisence. Now, I prepared myself. I brought a book. I know how the RMV is. We all do. It's slow and long and painful. So I was ready. I got my number and sat down for an interminable wait. Here's the thing: in a city that is known for its vast number of higher educational institutions and thus known as a center of knowledge and culture, the RMV is apparently run by idiots. Wanna know how I know that the RMV is run by idiots? The benches are wicked uncomfortable.

Seriously, folks. It takes TWO seconds to think about things like this. You know you're running the RMV, you're planning it out, and you think - Hey, it would be nice if people weren't so mean when they came up to the counter. How can we help them not be in a bad mood? I know they thought about these things because they installed things like the number system so you can track how close you are to getting up front, and they allow you to review your picture and if you don't like it they'll take it again. Now, how hard is it to think about ordering comfortable benches? Or at least something designed to sit on? I'm telling you - these benches are clearly ornamental in nature and not functional in the least. Anyone who's been to a Massachusetts RMV will back me up - I've been to one other office and have friends who have been to even more offices and the benches are all the same. In a city that produces tens of thousands of smart graduates on a regular basis, how in the hell did they manage to hire someone who doesn't think to do this simple job? OY.

In any case, it just reminds me to be more mindful in my work. So, for my part, I'm going to try and think more about things like other people's perspectives, how what I'm doing affects other people, and try to learn more about the world around me. And I'm going to warn people before they go to the RMV that they should bring their own chair. =)

music: What else? "Why" by Annie Lennox