Why..........I Don't Know

If it weren't for Bill Cosby's book "Fatherhood", my children would have driven me crazy long ago. Why they do what they do sometimes is a mystery. You tell them to do something or not to do something and they do the complete opposite. In his book, Cosby tells his child not to touch his drink and as soon as his back is turned, the child touches his drink. When he asks his daughter why she touched his drink, she says "I don't know". If Cosby, the ultimate father, had this problem, then maybe mine isn't so bad.



I too, after asking them to take a shower, have to ask some of them to turn on the water or they will just wonder around the tub. If they do use water I have to remind them to use soap, as I just had to with Sofia. If they use soap I have to ask them to dry off with a towel and not run around "naked as a jay bird" trying to air dry, as Sofia is doing at this exact moment. And if the jaybird is in fact covered in feathers, why is it called naked then? ...... "I don't know".



It doesn't happen that often. Usually I say things once and my children do it, and life in the Stuart House is filled with happiness and laughter. However, in these past two weeks I have been challenged with a couple "Why did you do this?" doozies. Outrageous stories have been told and incredulous things done that test a parent's patience to react with love and with a communication of "you are better than this" response. The answer when asked why they did these things......"I don't know".



My "other children" who are under my care for 7 hours a day, are also on my mind. We are now halfway through the first quarter of school and after a wonderful turnout for Open House, I went to bed wondering why some of them are still doing some of the things they do (talking out, not writing down assignments, coming in to class and not getting to work right away). My answer when I woke up this morning? ........"I don't know".".



And it hit me, there's a lot I don't know. And maybe by realizing this it might help me relate better to the "small ones" in my life and actually help them figure out their "I don't knows". But then again, maybe not. It appears I have a long way to go myself.

- Why does my brother send the same text message 3x in a row, as he is doing right now?
- Why do we sing "Take me out to the ballgame" when we're already there?
- Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting weak?
- Why do banks charge a fee on "insufficient funds" when they know there is not enough?
- Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?
- Why doesn't glue stick to the bottle?
-If nothing sticks to teflon, how does it stick to the pan?
- Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection?
- Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?
- Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a gun at him?
- Whose idea was it to put an "S" in the word "lisp"?
- If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?
- Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use the bubbles are always white?
- Why is it there is never a day that mattresses are not on sale?
- Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?
- In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?
- Why is shooting 'under par' acceptable in golf, while failure in anything else is considered sub-par?
- Why did Japan's kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
- What would a chair look like, if your knees bent the other way?
- If you're in a vehicle going the speed of light, what happens when you turn on the headlights?
- Why do we park in driveways and drive on parkways?
- Why can't you tickle yourself?
- If dogs are color blind, how do guide dogs know when to stop or go at a traffic light? I know... training; but still.

The answer to all of these.........."I DON'T KNOW!"".

If you have any of your own, "Why....I don't know" questions, feel free to click on "comments" and add them. I hope your day is made as happier by this as was mine.



Oh, one final "why"...Why do people think Texas will beat Ohio State tonight?....I don't know! Go Buckeyes!!!!!".