On Human Origins

You take a half-person’s body, then another half-person’s body, and you connect them together and put them inside the mom’s body. Then they grow and grow and grow. Then you go to the hospital…well…actually, you start at the hospital.

 

 

On Happiness

When you feel good because something that you liked happened, you have happiness. Like yesterday night I liked the ice cream. It was good. So I have happiness.

 

 

On Colors

What happened? Did you touch the red-hot iron right after I said not to?

It’s gray, not red!

 

 

 

On Music

I cannot nap at school because the music. It’s too beautiful. The music makes me sad. Sometimes I cry.

 

 

 

 

On Wind

The wind is loud. I think it’s trying to dance.

 

 

 

On Anatomy

Do you want to know how your heart is different from your brain?

…

Your heart is red and your brain is blue.

 

 

On the Soul

Inside of your heart is a brain. And inside of your brain is a soul. And inside of your soul is you. The soul is you on the inside. You just can’t see it.

 

 

 

On Temperatures

Hey. Good morning. Want to help me make breakfast?

(Nods.)

Okay, let’s go downstairs.

Dad?

Huh?

Can I touch your nipple?

 What? No! What do you think this is?

I want to see if it’s hot or cold.

No thanks. It’s the same as my arm and you just touched that. Come on. Let’s go make pancakes.

 

 

On Society

But why would someone want to be a beggar?

Well, not everyone has a place to live or things to eat. Sometimes these unfortunate people beg others for money to help them get things they need.

[One block later]

That beggar was spooky, Dad.

…

…

Yes. I know what you mean.

 

On Lentils and Rice

Who served this? Who served me this? How dare you Mom and Dad!

 

 

On Spaghetti with Meatballs

Dad, you are the love of my lifetime.

 

 

 

On Eating Chocolate Chip Cookies with Your Sibling

You know something: you are beautiful.

Thank you. Do you know what? You are beautiful too.

Thank you. You know something else. I love you as much as I love these cookies.

Thank you. Do you know what else? I love these cookies as much as I love you.

 

 

On Abstract Art, an Artist’s Perspective

The red is a giant. The yellow dots are bugs. The blue is a tree. The tree has no leaves. The tree is dead. I don’t know what the lines are.

 

 

On Questions and Statements

I want to ask you a question.

Go ahead.

I don’t like the birds on your coffee mug.

That’s not a question. That was a statement. A question is what you ask when you want to gather information. A statement is what you say when you want to provide information.

I have no further questions.

 

 

On the Murder of the Ant

Because ants eat caterpillars and caterpillars turn into butterflies and butterflies are beautiful and they help flowers bloom and flowers are beautiful and flowers make me happy. That’s why.

 

 

 

On Peter and the Wolf

Do wolves live in the meadow around here, Dad?

 

 

 

 

 

On Time

Did you know that the clock has hands? Some move fast, some move slow, and some move medium. And there are numbers that tell you whether it is ten or nine or two or thirty or forty. Sometimes one thousand. It’s interesting, you know. Time is what you live by.

 

 

On Having Time

Well, actually, I don’t have any time. It’s seven o’clock and I don’t have any time.

Darling, it’s only one o’clock.

Actually, it’s seven o’clock. And I don’t have any time.

Okay. Well, anyway, next time you’re with Eva, you’ll have to discuss it with her.

It’s eleven one o’clock.

Have a nice nap.

Dada. I don’t have any time!

 

 

On Life’s Purpose

I don’t know. I forget.