Analogies are like an awesome way to explain things, until they are not. Because no two things are the same, any attempt to aid understanding using an analogy must be limited to the most superficial levels of comparison. Trying to take the comparison too deep will fail, in much the same way that comparing the Beatles and the Stones will go off the tracks shortly after the statement: "The Beatles are like the Stones..."
(I'm creating this post mostly as a spot to link to in future posts, kind of like a shorthand way of explaining my issue with analogies)
Monday, June 2, 2014
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
The never ending WHY
It's a cliché in comedic bits about parenting: the kid asks an endless barrage of questions which inevitably turns into a staccato series of "Why, Why, but Why?!" And the parent always gets exasperated and/or pummeled into the submission of saying "I don't know why! It's just because!"
But I have a confession: I enjoy the questions. Every time my little man expresses some curiosity about the world, a little flag waves in my mind reminding me that my kid is engaged, is paying attention, is constantly learning. I made a decision before he was born to do my very best to answer every question he asks, as many as it takes to get a to a point where is satisfied or I just don't know the answers (and then we go to the internet for answers!).
I won't lie - there are definitely times (generally an hour past bedtime when the questions tend to lean in the "silly" direction and my brain is in shutdown mode) when my commitment to this question answering is tested, but in the end I can never say no [more questions] to this face:
So, yeah, this week I have engaged in 10+ minute digressions about how internal combustion engines work, how the calamari we had for dinner was right then working it's way through his tummy on a route to become poop and then out to the potty, and a long (and confusing, to me) conversation about what is "under the road". And the truth is, I enjoyed each talk. Just don't ask me why.
But I have a confession: I enjoy the questions. Every time my little man expresses some curiosity about the world, a little flag waves in my mind reminding me that my kid is engaged, is paying attention, is constantly learning. I made a decision before he was born to do my very best to answer every question he asks, as many as it takes to get a to a point where is satisfied or I just don't know the answers (and then we go to the internet for answers!).
I won't lie - there are definitely times (generally an hour past bedtime when the questions tend to lean in the "silly" direction and my brain is in shutdown mode) when my commitment to this question answering is tested, but in the end I can never say no [more questions] to this face:
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