Teachable Moments

Last week, on the last day I had with just my boys (before Princess came home from camp), someone asked a question about what particular road sign meant. I explained it and then more and more questions and discussions came up about road signs. What surprised me was the length of our conversation and how engaged the boys were in it.

As I explained signage to them a few things occurred to us about the use of color and symbols:

1. Black and Yellow signs are warnings. They tell the driver that something is going to change; a road is going to curve sharply, a road is getting narrower, cars will merge into the lane. These signs, I told the boys, mean the driver needs to pay attention to what is coming.

The question came up then about a sign that had a railroad track on one side and a black line parallel to it and then a black line cutting across it. I asked BB to tell me what he thinks it means. He figured out that it means there is a train track next to the road and then asked "But why do I care? I can see the train track."

Ahhh, young grasshopper...in daylight, yes, it's easy to see but at night or when the trees are thick, that track is hidden and then what if we decided we needed to turn. It would be good to know that there is a track there and there are no bells or road bars that come down if a train comes so a driver has to pay attention to the environment and a possible change.

"Ohhhhh. I still don't care about the train track but OK."

2. Red & White signs or Red, White and Black signs give instructions, usually in things we can't do: No Left turn, No U-turn, No Parking, Do Not Enter, Stop.

3. Green & White signs are information signs about streets. They tell the driver the street name or upcoming roads.

4. Brown & White signs give information about points of interest like museums, zoos, scenic overlooks and historical sights.

So, then one of my bright boys said, "Why do we need all these signs and colors?"

Good question!! I explained it like this, "When I am going down the road at 55 mph, I am doing a lot of different things like keeping my foot on the gas, checking my mirrors, checking my speed, watching the road and then also trying to find where I am going. I need information but I can't or don't have time to read a long paragraph such as "Oh, the road up here is going to turn sharply to the right, so you are going to need to slow down a bit and also watch for cars merging into your lane as you turn onto White Bear Avenue."

BB giggled. He got the point. "So, you need to know stuff fast."

Yup, and it has to be something everyone can figure out.

We spent the next several minutes of our trip guessing what different signs meant. I do believe that this was one of our first driving lessons. It was fun.

Why TulipMom's been gone so long...

After weeks of wandering alone and disoriented in the badlands of Mt. Washmore and the Denim Valley, a friendly face appeared. He was on horseback but when he got close to her, he dismounted. She noticed that he wore the uniform of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. She was so tired, hungry and thirsty, she didn't care that it was strange to come across a Mounty this far south of Canada. She took the canteen he offered and drank as if she had never tasted water before.

He helped her onto his horse and then climbed up behind her. She told him her tale. It started out as a simple journey, one she has made hundreds of time. She visits Mt. Washmore at least every few weeks. But this time, the trip was more treacherous on a count of some unforseen spring storms and an unreliable Sherpa named Luigi.

Never again would she hire a Sherpa from an ad on Craigslist or someone advertising a discount because they are "building up a client base and a resume" and then when asked about their education, he states he took his courses online but had mono and missed the semester where they traveled to the mountains. He assured her it was OK because he had been practicing with packs and lines in his backyard and studying his textbooks.

At the first crack of thunder and a loose boulder that looked sort of like boxer shorts with spiderman and something akin to "skid marks", Luigi ran off, shreiked like a 5 year old girl, cried, "Mommy!" and stuck his thumb in his mouth. She realized then that it wasn't a good idea to keep the map in his pack.

Over the next few days, she continued to climb Mt. Washmore and thought she reached the summit, only to discover yet another peak she had never seen before. She headed toward it and discovered it was just a mirage. This confusion threw her for a loop and as supplies dwindled she grew more disoriented. She found herself wandering further and further away from the mountains and deep in the Denim Valley.

It's a good thing she did let her friends and family know where she was going so when she did not show up for dinner, they could send for help.

It could have happened like that. Or perhaps she has been knee deep in laundry, dishes, the end of school and the start of baseball...and an over-active imagination.