Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Conversations with a ten year old

Will
So, my ten year old Nephew, Will is quite a character. Dashingly handsome with a wicked sense of humour and very inquisitive with a good measure of eccentricity. He is always giggling and fascinated by everything which makes him great to hang out with because you can talk cars (his favourite subject), fashion, pop music, football, history...pretty much, he has an opinion on everything. I spent the weekend at my sisters and on Sunday morning Will and I ate toast and drank tea together in our pyjamas.

The greatest conversation ensued.

I have to share this bit of pure comic genius!

Will: Fee,(that's me) who is Luten Martha King?
Me: Who? (suppressing a giggle)
Will: Luten Martha King?
Me: Do you mean Martin Luther King?
Will: Whatever!
Me: Why?
Will: Well, at school, in our classroom we have pictures all round the walls of famous people from 1948 to 2010 and...
Me: Who is up there?
Will: The first man on the moon
Me: Whose name is...
Will: Buzz...?
Me: N n n n
Will: Niell Armstrong!
Me: Who else is up there
Will: Buzz....Lightyear... Buzz Aldrin!
Me: Yeah, who else?
Will: I don't know the name of the other man
Me: No you doughnut, not who else was on the moon, who else is up on the wall!
Will: (Giggling) Oh I see!! Dunno! So who is Martin Luther thingy then?
Me: He was a black man who fought for civil rights for African Americans. Back in the fifties and early sixties, black people had to use the seats on the back of the bus. They weren't allowed to go to the same schools as white people and they were treated really badly. So, Martin Luther King tried to help change that. He made a very famous speech, "I had a dream..."
Will: Hmmmmm!

We finished our breakfast as Louisa came in from her run (7am she went out!!! I hate her and her smug athleticism!) and she promptly dragged Will upstairs for a wash and to get dressed.

Louisa and Will drinking tea on the beach!
Will: Mum, do you know who Martin Luther King is?
Louisa: No!
Will: Duh!
Louisa: Well, who is he then?
Will: He was the first black man.
Louisa: What, ever? (snickering)
Will: (Laughing) No! I mean, he was the first black man on the moon!
Louisa: (Unable to speak because she is laughing too much!)
Will: (Also unable to speak through the giggles)
I come upstairs to see what the noise is all about and Louisa recounts the conversation
Me: Come on Will, you know who he is, I just told you
Will: Oh alright Fee, he was the first black man to drive a bus!

Don't you love him!

1 comment: