My Opinionated Son

Isaac has decided that he's an Atheist:  Yesterday I was sitting with him, and he asked me "do you believe in God, dad?"  I explained my agnosticism - that I think there's something out there but have no idea what it is, but understand how a lot of people feel and how important God is to them....   he answered "well, I DO NOT believe in God.  He's not real."

I asked him how he came up with this and he said "I figured it out myself:  It's OBVIOUS, Dad".

This is on top of a few days earlier when he was overheard telling a sister of a friend that "God it just a FAIRY TALE".   A few other times in the past few weeks I've heard him mutter at the tv when people say "I put my faith in God" (mostly during Hoarder shows, right?) - he just says "Not real.  There is no God.".

Pamela and I are pretty much at a loss as to how this worldview developed, as well as his vehemence.  I mean yes we're certainly not people with a black and white view on the matter - and Pamela is certainly more spiritual than I am, but neither of us have ever given this sort of message...   I'm thinking that there's a chance that part of Christopher Hitchens' spirit must have flown into him last year.   (As to Bella, she's not sure either, but I think she's probably more of a druid than anything).

But I must say that probably my own worldview isn't going to be particularly helpful in this - I can't assure him with a straight face that God is real, all I can encourage is to keep an open mind.  But he's a very empirical person, a very direct thinker:  If he asks for a cookie and I say no, he says "WHEN?".  If I say "Later", he asks HOW MUCH LATER.  If I say maybe he won't get a cookie at all if he doesn't let up, he says "NOT EVER?  I WILL NEVER EVER GET ANOTHER COOKIE AS LONG AS I LIVE?"

In the meantime, I think I'm just going to coach him that there ARE some people who believe very strongly, and perhaps we should keep his thoughts on this a bit closer to the vest.

In a related area, he's still very much a guy guy, but is starting to think that girls might not be the enemy. Yesterday, I overheard him talking with Amelia, a sweet blondie who he'll be going to Kindergarten with next year:  He asked her "Do you like Barbies?"  She answered "Not even a BIT - my sister does, but I don't like to play with them at all.".  He brightened a little, then asked a followup "What about Princesses - do you like to play Princess?"  "NO not at all" was the response, and Isaac decided that Amelia would indeed be an ok playmate for the next 20 minutes.

He's figuring out that there are some girls who aren't girly-girls, who he can probably interact with and enjoy their company.  Today at the playground, a girl his age was showing him her skills with the zipline and the hanging rings - he was keeping up and they were having a good laugh, until she was able to prove she was better at the rings - she could skip a ring and swing across in 3 moves instead of 5.  Isaac couldn't match it.  So after 3 tries, he just took off running and sat down under a basketball hoop with his head in his hands.  For about 20 seconds.  Then he picked up and tried again.

I liked that instead of throwing a fit, he decided to give himself some space to cool off.  That was actually pretty darn mature.

I'm really enjoying watching him grow up...   but I know I'll miss this little boy as he grows bigger.  After all of this, he confessed tonight that he really doesn't want to get any bigger, that likes being just this size, that he wants to be a kid, and he wants me to be his dad forever.

I told him he can enjoy his time being a kid, and we don't need to worry beyond that... and that yes, I will be his dad forever.  And ever.

Media Update

1)  Watched "Drive" the other night.  Absolutely incredible - like an action movie haiku - not one word or action out of place.  I absolutely loved how the driver and Irene were comfortable in their silences.  Also, to start the movie with a chase scene that mostly involves parking and waiting and driving slowly was pretty amazing.  The brief moments of violence are amazing in their brutality but non-glamour.  And Albert Brooks...  boy.   Who knew?  No spoilers but the "shh shhh shh, it's ok, it's all done" moment was stunning.

The soundtrack was hypnotic as well.  The music was done by Cliff Martinez who is my new favorite music guy - he did Soderbergh's Solaris and Contagion too - he does very minimal soundscapes that just create an edge to the scenes that I love.

2)  I am going to go on record:  The Harold and Kumar movies are just wonderful and ridiculous.  Pure, unapologetic love letters to the wonders of weed and bromance.  I saw the Christmas movie this week and had to pause it a few times out of paralysis from laughter.  Part of the wonder of the movie (and the whole series) is the completely depraved character of Neil Patrick Harris...   He is a revelation.

3)  I love love love a show on NBC called Community.  I had heard great things about it from the AVClub.com blogs, but never jumped in.  I'm downloading episodes and loving them.  I just started season 2.  It's about as close as you get to can get to Arrested Development, with a little less dysfunction and a little more cultural in-joke.

And that's the media update.