The Long and the Short of It

In posting yesterday blog I was thinking of a lot of ways it could have gone differently. The same conversation he and I had about what had happened had he been overwhelmed by it either to the point of a meltdown down or shutdown. I realized I am much better at reading in between or over the lines so even if our conversation had gone something like this,

"Mom" sob sob sob, as he rock back and forth. I rub his back. I know HistoryBoy. It's ok. "But mom" I know honey, come here and he climbs onto my lap and I cuddle him until he feels secure again and not overwhelmed. HistoryBoy, you are an amazing little man. And he just hugs me really tight.

Or it could have gone like this.

"Mom, that guy doesn't understand. I read about Hiroshima and I know all about the Enola Gay. It's a Boeing B-29 Super-fortress bomber. On 6 August 1945, it became the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb on city of Hiroshima, Japan. About 80,00 people were killed that day alone, and then radiation killed ten of thousands more. Years later leukemia began killing even more people. I've watched history channel about it and read Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. I know what happened is true mommy. I didn't make it up and I am not a dumb kid. Why would he say that mommy? I know I am not dumb. He can't say things like that can he? Why can he say things like that? I wasn't mean to him. I didn't make anything up." HistoryBoy, please calm down. He doesn't know you. He doesn't know what you know or know how well you research everything you do know. He doesn't know how smart you really are. I want you to take a deep breath for mean and relax. Ok? I think your brain is going to explode in a moment if you don't. "M-O-M" Ok, maybe it won't explode but come sit next to me ok. I know you know what you are talking about but everyone else doesn't always know that. You are the smartest person I know. You have an AMAZING brain. Can I switch with you? "Mom, it doesn't work that way. Once you detach my brain my body won't work so even if it attaches to your head it won't move your body." See too smart for me. I love you pumpkin head. "M-O-M"

The conversation still would have read that it went like this...

"Mom, why didn't that guy believe me?" I explained to him that not everyone has the same point of view. "But mom I didn't make it up. It is what happened in WWII. I watched the documentaries about the dogfights and battleships" I know honey. Some people just don't understand how someone so small can package so much knowledge. Since you didn't live through it, you can't know it. "Really?" Some people. "oh" But I know you know all kinds I things I don't know, that's lots of people don't know. You are amazing. "I know."