The Boy Teacher and the Father Student # 66; Where Do We Go from Now and The Foundation?

Where do we go from now, except up? A foundation is built. It is not built on shifting sands or with cheap material. The foundation is built with love and patience and together. Care is taken each block of the way. Errors made and the block removed and put back in place in a better fashion. Painstaking if not for the love of the builder(s)

At least two must be gathered to do the work. The craftsman and the apprentice. The foundation is not built in order to allow for going down. The foundation is built so that the house never goes back down and is risen up. As is the apprentice.

A year and a half ago from yesterday. At the grocery store.

F: Son I forgot my glasses. You need to read the labels for me.

B: Give me one.

F: This looks good but I fear evil within the can.

B: Give it to me. //Met/hill/sick/op/rope/een//.

F: That makes no sense, spell it although I really do not care.

B: M e th yl cycl o pro pene. Why don’t you care?

F: They lie son, some books you can read by their cover. I certainly am not a chemist. If a word has that many syllables in it, it means they are combining chemicals to make a chemical. Maybe OK for life saving drugs but not for what they add to our foods. That is not wholly accurate but you get the point.

B: So if it is long like that it probably means it is bad like that?

F: That is my story and I am sticking to it. I like monosodium gluconate. And they call it MSG. Man it makes salads so much better. But it is way wrong to eat.

B: So yuk!?

F: If you cannot pronounce it on the first try, do not eat it.

That was a mistake to tell the boy. Within the past year he can pronounce any long syllable compounds/additives. Kind of scary. So we went through words like acid and methyl and it got even scarier. When we have the time and are able to build a foundation the results do not crumble. But grasping that sodium benzoate combined with citric acid causes a cancer causing agent of benzene is beyond me for a 9 year old. I say, he hears and his steel trap of a mind knows.

And If I do wrong? What does his mind trap?

If that foundation is strong then the life of the apprentice is strong. It takes a strong firm hand between the master and the apprentice. But here is a key element. The master must instill a strong desire to learn. Just fine and dandy this is done with words. But most importantly by deed and example. Therefor the master must show that he learns from the apprentice. The apprentice must be taught early on the character of a master.

B: Dad you are doing it again.

F: Just what am I doing again? Oh now I get it but you verbalize it.

B: You are just sitting there staring out into space. I just said something and you did not even hear me.

F: Oops, I was just thinking about what a wonderful child you were before you became so smart.

B: Now you are doing that again. Lying and being sarcastic and deflecting.

F: You don’t even understand what you just said you little malcontent.

B: Well you taught me what that means so I think you know that I know. I love that; “you know that I know”.

F: I am not pleased with you boy.

B: You already told me. That is because you do not want to think right now. You are getting a headache. Now get it together and go do something. Anything.

F: Who teaches you this insubordination and lack of respect? I am your elder and you must treat me like one!

B: “Insa” what? Anyhow, you probably taught me that. Submarine?

F: Your recalcitrance is overwhelming you little naïve.

B: You know I can look those words up.

F: Good luck even coming close to spelling them you two-toned toad.

B: Hey dad.

F: Stop that, I am the only one here, you do not need to let me know you are addressing me. Do I seem irritable?

B: Yes, but it is silly. You crack me up when you get all angry like.

F: Grrr. You must learn to take me more seriously.

B: Why?

F: I don’t know. It just seems normal for a boy to take a dad seriously. Hmm? I will get back to you on that. Maybe we learn more in a giggle than a frown. Never thought of that. So if I do not act all serious do you still learn from me?

B: Why not?

METHYLCYCLOPROPENE, BUTYLATED HYDROXYANISOLE, Benzoate

If what goes in is toxic, that which comes out is toxic. So we wonder not just about the good stuff going into the boy’s foundation but about preventing the bad stuff from going in. Preventing, in the outside world is a fool’s errand. So the apprentice must be taught what material to use and what to discard in his life long quest in building foundations, physical, spiritual and emotional. The relationship between how one stone “meshes” with another is paramount. The building of a home is a journey of life long performance.

B: I still don’t get how you make a rose from one bush appear on another. That red on the yellow is trippy.

F: Thank goodness we already did the “birds and bees” talk. Call them “hybrids”. Remember when I was cutting them and sticking a “stem” into the other one and wrapping it with string and smearing that stuff?

B: Kind of, but I was busy, I can’t remember why.

F: That is called grafting. You can take one rose and make the other rose adopt it.

B: I remember you taking a stick thing from mom’s make up and acting like a mad scientist.

F: That was a swab. And I carefully transferred the pollen from one to another, caring to get the right combination of pollen.

B: OK I am sorry I asked.

F: But this is important son. You have to understand how this works.

B: Really dad? I am 9 and you have to go bike riding with me.

F: Far out dude! And a short hike. You have been doing too many playdates lately. Hey, are you learning some Spanglish? They were laughing at my Spanish yesterday when I picked you up. Too much fun. I speak some Castillian and some Latin and a bit of border talk. And they speak Frontiera Mexican.

B: Dad if you were anymore strange Mom and I would not let you out of the house. Hihihihi.

F: Fine, I will stop talking.

B: Mom laughs and says I talk too much. She loves it when I tell her stories and she laughs really hard. I know she is just joking. I love it during summer when I can stay up late with her. We have a blast and sometimes ice cream.

F: Don’t know, son that is the space I give you two. Maybe we will talk about family dynamics someday. You like mom’s music and you like my music. Better we do not play them at the same time. On the other hand a family symphony is to die for.