Messing with Young Minds
(An excerpt from a conversation with the kids on the way to school not long ago.)
Why is that truck always there?
It’s been there for years, guys. Why does it seem to be bothering you now?
It’s ugly.
Why don’t they move it?
I kind of like it.
I don’t know why they never move it. Maybe it broke down and they can’t. Maybe they don’t have any other place to move it. Maybe they do move it but you never pass by here when it’s gone.
Yeah, like it only moves at midnight and the only ones that get to see it gone are the bats.
Well, I don’t like it.
Maybe it has moved. Maybe, it’s not even there. Yeah, you’re just so used to seeing it there that your mind is making you believe that it’s still there when in all actuality, it’s been gone for quite a while.
Dad, I don’t think so.
How can you be so sure?
Because we can see it!
You can’t always trust your eyes. Your brain is telling you it should be there because it always has been so your eyes believe they are seeing it because your brain told them to.
Dad!
Seriously, your brain plays terrible tricks on you. It’s probably not even there.
Really?
The only real way to tell is to run into it. Full on. Just run all out face first into the side of the thing.
(And almost without hesitation Zella finally joins the conversation)
Zia goes first!
