Thursday, July 05, 2007

A Needed Invention

I’ve caught bits and pieces of that show American Inventor. I’ve never made it all the way through one episode, but the concept is fairly interesting. I’m thinking of inventing some kind of computerized encyclopedia that would be installed in the steering wheel of the car/van. This is a must for any family with an 8-year-old. I don’t know if it is because he’s sitting back there with nothing to do but think or what, but these conversations always seem to happen when we’re driving somewhere. Since I don’t really like to drive, I am fairly distracted and not all that patient usually when he’s asking these questions, too. Anyway, here is something else I do not know while driving down the road:

Listening to the radio in the car, not really paying much attention to what the man is saying when he says something about Beethoven’s hymn Ode to Joy, when J pipes up from the back seat:

Beethoven wrote hymns?
Well, he wrote Ode to Joy. I know that. I wasn’t really listening to what they were saying about him just now.
Was he a Christian?
I don’t know. I’ve never heard anything about what he believed. That's a good question.
Well, if he wrote hymns....
I don't know, J. I just know he wrote that piece of music.
When was Beethoven born?
Not sure….
Where did he live?
Somewhere in Germany, I think, or maybe Austria, but I really just don’t know…..
Did he live at the same time as Mozart?
I don’t think so…
Who was first?
I think Mozart, but I’m really just not sure. I never thought about it or cared before…
Why not?
I don’t know, just wasn’t something I cared about….
But did they know each other?
Honey, let’s look it up on the internet when we get home, okay? I said I don’t know, asking 14 times won’t change that fact before we get to VBS tonight.

Shameful that I don’t know these things, I know. Apparently I wasn’t paying much attention in Humanities class when (if?) we learned this kind of vital music appreciation information, either. Who knew at the time that I’d have a son who needed to know this information one summer evening while driving over the bridge to church? Trust me, he is quite put out with me when I don’t know the answers, too. And D wonders why I’m a little frazzled at the end of the day.

See, if I had a steering wheel encyclopedia, I’d have the answers at my fingertips while the burning need to know is there. So what if it makes me a driving hazard, my son’s need to know would be appeased. What do you think? Would my invention be a winner?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't know if your invention would be a winner, but you certainly are with such an inquisitive son. You are richly blessed! Maybe there's some kind of "travel encyclopedia" for sale, or perhaps something on portable DVD (not that we can afford one either).
I thoroughly enjoyed your story. I have an inquisitive son (now 19) as well. Enjoy every minute!

Anonymous said...

I'd buy it! Can you include a dictionary, too?

Anonymous said...

Get a blackberry or some other device that can access the internet while you're in the car.

I'd kill myself in a minute with access to the internet on my steering wheel!! LOL! How's this for a blog post: Live blogging a car accident?

My husband has a berry and he is constantly looking up stuff when he wants to know something. In sunday school (no less!) he felt the need to look up something to confirm what the teacher said...so he snuck the little booger out and searched wikipedia right there in church! No one even noticed.