My moment came in the car while I was driving my then-ten-year-old son to an appointment. As usual during our various commutes, we'd talk about everything and all things. No subject was off-limits. We talked about all the taboos - sex, drugs, politics, religion. I found that when we talked politics, this feeling of seriousness would come over me and I'd feel as though I had to present several conflicting perspectives as honestly and as un-biased as I could, so that he'd be able to understand the different arguments pro and con and make informed judgments as far as he was able.
We were talking politics this time (while in heavy traffic on the Ventura Freeway, for whatever that's worth), a discussion that usually boiled down to the different viewpoints of liberals versus conservatives. Do you know what he said to me?
I'm paraphrasing here:
"So Mom, it sounds like the conservative side is kinda like the dad - that is strict and stern and punishing, and the liberal side is kinda like the mom - that's more loving and supporting and not punishing."
Ten years old and he got that, and I had never drawn that metaphor for him before - the paternalistic authoritarian versus the so-called "nanny state" effect. And we hadn't explored that whole conflicting governing philosophy together before. He put two and two together on his own and came up with that at the age of ten. I was so stunned I started to cry. I couldn't believe it! My son is astoundingly insightful. No wonder he writes the kinds of songs he does. (facebook.com/acidicband)
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