This morning Itook my girlsinto the backyard for a lesson about rain. This is a rare live demonstration living in Southern California. Both girls looked up and said, “Agua.” (Yes, they’re bilingual, but this isn’t about bragging!!!) My husband ran outside to remind me that being outside for this short period would give my girls pneumonia. Quick to be defensive without thinking through what I was saying, I launched into a speech about how the rain is probably much more harmful than the cool temperatures and anyway it was only misting. My little students didn’t know the difference between rain and mist. I went on to explain pneumonia is the least of our worries, and if he wanted to be onto something better, our pollution is so disgusting that I’m sure we’re somehow being contaminated and the girls should put their tongues back in their mouths. Then I realized I had gone too far and took my rain lesson back inside the house and to the window.
Made me think hours later, as this blog entry sat on my TO DO list, that Fijians don’t have this problem. Fiji is one of the farthest places away from industrial pollution. I bet Fijian Mommies get to teach their rain lesson outside without thinking about pollution and acid rain. Maybe the warm tropical weather helps ward off paranoid Daddies too!
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