There's Living, And There's LIVING

Colson had a grand time at our family 4th of July picnic on Monday. He said his favorite part was "sitting around in the circle talking to everyone". He has just entered the pre-teen stage, very hungry, very sleepy, and very moody. So being treated as part of the adults was VERY exciting for him.

He had gotten everyone to play along with his favorite question and answer game. He was very happy when others in the circle jumped in and posed questions of their own. Someone asked the question, "If you were stranded on a desert island and only one person in your family could be there with you, who would you want it to be?"

Colson thought for a moment and said, "Papa, because he knows how to live".

Now, the uneducated might think that when Colson said "he knows how to live", he meant that his Papa walks into bars and women fall at his feet, beer flows freely into his mug, and waiters bring him free food. That his Papa throws money around like it grows on trees, rolls snake eyes every time, and drives fast cars. You may even picture Colson and his Papa having a Hangover-esque weekend in Vegas.

But no, Colson is much more enlightened. What Colson meant by that phrase was that his Papa would know how to keep him ALIVE. He'd know which bugs to eat for the most protein, how to fashion a shelter from a tree branch and banana peels, and which direction to blow the smoke signals. Colson knows his Papa is this family's Bear Grylls, and won't be caught on a desert island without him. Cole wants to take someone who knows how to LIVE.

I didn't raise no fool.