The Boy Teacher and the Father Student #72; Climate Change and Love

Climate change is everyone’s business. The notion of climate change is not a joke. We take our responsibility seriously in protecting our planet against man made climate change. We do not “believe” in the hype around climate change. We use (often used when bought) then we re-use and then we recycle.

Now our environmental footprint is just about as low as it can go. We let our house get cold in the winter – not by Vermont standards. We like to wear our thick socks and sweaters. It gets over or near 100 degrees here about 15 days a year. We do not do air conditioning. Yes I keep my shorts on but nothing else – child and wife are at work and school during the heat. I average driving 5 miles a day. I have a 2005 Corolla that still gets over 20 mpg in the city and is fully smogged. Plastic bags and straws are banned. I am that weirdo who picks up trash as seen on the ground. (sorry not around homeless on sidewalks) Our total gas and electric bill is less than $100 on any month. In California that is crazy.

Yours truly was taught to be a steward and I want to pass that on. Love of earth is a part of my soul.

B: Hey dad do you know why we did not get to do the big “walk out” for the environment?

F: Our school district said no?

B: Yea because it was too hot outside, hihihi. My friends and I made up that joke.

F: I actually think that is very funny. But our climate is serious stuff.

B: Dad you know I really like dinosaurs. But there weren’t any cars when they went bye bye.

F: I wonder how many years that was and If we only have a million left.

B: I am always grossed out with that black stuff when I hose off the sidewalk to the driveway. It has this black greasy stuff. And that goes into the ocean I think.

F: You know how we follow the Vietnamese tradition of shoes off and pajamas on in the house? Why?

B: Mom says ‘cuz it is yucky outside. But she does not go camping with us either. Wow I never thought of that. She just doesn’t like dirt either.

Now on a lighter note. I gave Gabriel a choice. 7 lines plus one responsive line as our conversation or poetry. He likes to say “shew, go away” when he is creating. So off I ran to pull weeds. Weeding is never ending if you don’t use that gross roundup deal. (I am a member of a mass tort action against Monsanto as it is directly related to my type of cancer – don’t expect to make a buck but it is important for our environment) At least slow those bastards down. Oops I said lighter note;

And so the poetry goes like this;

Once upon a time there was a boy who liked to rhyme

For breakfast he ate pancakes

At school he learned about landscapes

When he came home he felt like a gnome

Then he felt groovy and watched a movie

The movie cool but not cool as a pool

Then he was hungry and saw a cookie

I like the style and he could have busted it down to 14 lines so good on him to just let it flow.

F: Son that is great poetry. I know you meant it as fun and funny and it worked. Thank you.

B: Next week I will be thinking about it and so I will do even better, remind me.

F: Right now I will put it on the calendars for Monday. This is going to be fun.

B: Dad mom say’s not everything needs to be fun. She says I need to be more serious.

F: Well that is fun all by itself. You know how we always crack up when we try to frown.

B: But she is serious about a lot of stuff. And you do what she “asks” when she is serious.

F: Concept time. I tell you to “never stress on the small stuff, and everything is small stuff.”

B: Grades are important and not small stuff and If I am not serious about them I will not get good grades.

F: Cool, say this word “Juxtaposition”.

B: Juxtaposition.

F: Two seemingly antagonistic views that help you see the middle ground or fallacy within each. Get it? Forget it about food until we have an example.

B: That is cool. Now I get the devil on one shoulder and the angel on the other. They are both right and wrong. Wow! I am on fire today.

B: Give me something harder.

F: Who is the president of the world?

B: Let me think. You are tricking me, there is not one.

F: So you know we cannot really have favorite children right? So who was Christ’s favorite?

B: That is easy from Sunday School, Peter.

F: Kind of cold hearted to the others.

B: Well Rico is my favorite friend and you are my favorite dad. So I don’t care. And I know that I am your favorite youngest child.

F: I have got to lay off the humor with you. You are starting to be quicker than I am.

It seems like every day Gabe picks up on new stuff. Well I know for sure he is in school and reading.

Now back to that climate change deal. Needless to say that if everyone dropped their foot print size to ours we would solve the problem. Isn’t it ironic but some folks just can’t afford to use up less. For my wife’s work we have a hard time here. Now go do nothing.

It is getting a bit scary with this Gabriel. A little wise beyond his years. But it seems to me my other 3 elder children were the same. At around 9 years old they have a clarity not muddled with confusion of society. Vocabulary soaring. Memory off the charts. Questioning. Doubtful yet still gleeful. And then someone with an empty noggin comes along and explains the horrors of war and how the world will end for man in ten years.

A dad cannot stop that. But if you look at it in a philosophical mode. Doing that to a child is the worst “climate” change. Really? He does not even watch violence, news or sexy on TV yet. But some braindead waste case tells him he will die with all others in ten years unless he does what? Lower our footprint more? Yell and block traffic that causes more pollution. All in the name of bringing awareness to people who clearly are already aware? I have never found demanding as helpful to any situation.

B: Dad are we really all going to be dead before I am 40 if I don’t stop drinking water that takes energy to make pure? Is what you said about heavy metals in solar power will kill more animals than coal? And that wind power kills more endangered birds in a day than all hunters.

F: Dude you are talking way too heavy on this stuff. Back to our cool word juxtaposition. Most climate change stuff is almost a yen and yang. Our formula is easy peasy.

B: What?

F: Do your best to be a good steward without going total ape on us. Remember the word “steward”?

B: Take care of.

F: What does Jesus say about worrying?

B: It ain’t worth spit.

F: Words not his. But the point is made.