Memory Monday - But Why??

Megan has reached that nerve wrenching adorable age of asking a thousand questions. Usually each question is followed by a "but why?"...."but why?"....."but why?". I try to do my best answering her questions but how many different ways can you explain to a three year old why we drive this way to get to the gym everyday. "But why?" Each of my children have gone through this annoyingly painful intellectually stimulating stage of their lives.

Honestly I don't mind the questions my kids ask me. Especially as they get older and the questions are more interesting. It keeps my mind fresh and the wheels in my brain from becoming rusty or covered with cobwebs. I always have to be on my toes ready to answer any question my children might throw my way, or at least be ready to look it up.

All of this asking and answering of questions has gotten me thinking about my Dad. Growing up my Dad knew everything, or so it seemed. Anytime I had a question or a problem I could go to him and he would have all the answers. He would teach us cool things while on vacation such as geology and weather. We went to Southern Utah a lot as a family and visited places such as Zions National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Arches, Canyonlands and my favorite, Mesa Verde. So there were plenty of opportunities for lots of questions and lots of answers. I never doubted my Dad's knowledge or questioned how he knew everything.

As I got older I began to understand that my Dad was really smart. He actually knew all this stuff, or at least he faked it really well. Yes, if he didn't know the answer he would make it up. I still to this day have to stop and think, "Is he serious, or is he pulling my leg, again!?" The fact of the matter is though that my Dad really knows his stuff. I have come to believe that he must have some sort of photographic memory to be able to retain all the stuff that he knows. While visiting us shortly after we moved here we went to the South Dakota Air and Space Museum. It was actually fun to go there with him. It was like having our own personal tour guide because he knew so much. One of his greatest fascinations has been with military related facts. He has seen nearly every movie or read nearly every book ever made about any war ever fought. At times it is dangerous to ask him a question. You may get FAR more than you wanted or expected.

As a mother, when hit with a barrage of questions from my children, I often find myself saying, "I don't know". Sometimes I think of my Dad and his seemingly endless wealth of knowledge, and I smile. I lack the ability to come up with the answers, truthful or make believe, as easily as he does. Instead we have to rely on books or the internet to find the answers.

Just last night my daughter asked me why I put two holes in a can to pour it out. Great question. I told her one is for pouring and one is an air hole, and because that is what my mom taught me to do. I am sure there is some sort of scientific and/or physics related answer to her question and if I were my father or my brother (a physics teacher), I probably would have given it to her. Alas, I don't know the scientific explanation. You know when you were younger and you wondered what possible use the overload of information that you received in school could have? Now I know why it was so important.

Why didn't I pay more attention in school? But why???