Saturday, March 28, 2015

Musings of an 8 Year Old Philosopher

Justice didn't want to eat outside tonight ("because we always do that;" lovely to be March in Southern Oregon), so I said I would eat with him inside because Aedyn still wanted to eat outside. Aedyn and Heidi ended up eating together. Unsolicited, and looking at a fly, Aedyn asks, "I wonder what it's like to be you?"

At this point Heidi is certain he must be speaking to the fly. Which would not be unusual. So there is silence. After a moment, A asks, "ya know?"

H: Are you asking me or the fly?

A: You, of course! (giggles—he doesn't see that from our perspective that it is not a queer question to ask). I mean, to see my own eyes, I have to look in the mirror. But what's it like to look out of your eyes? Do you feel differently than me (sic) all the time?

A continues: I wonder why we evolved to be us. To build houses like this. And machines. Why not bugs or beavers? Why are we the dominant creatures? Beavers can build houses and ants, too; birds can build nests. But our brains evolved to build machines. The beavers evolved to have the never-ending gnawing two front teeth. But we didn't. We evolved the smart brain to make saws. Birds evolved to fly. But we evolved that brain thing again to make planes and gliders.

I love that he loves to ask questions and that he sees and knows the world around him! And ponders it.