Harbor Life Ministries

Whatever happened to boredom? I lost it along with my childlike innocence at some point in the faded, distant past.

Here’s a conversation I had with my youngest son Kavin after he made this observation:

“School work stinks.”

“Do you mean it smells bad?” I asked.

“No, I mean it stinks.”

“Why do you think it stinks?”

“Because you do it every day, then, ‘poof’, you’re dust in the wind.”

“Poof, huh? I hope i go out as a poof.”

“Homework stinks too.”

“Don’t you see the value of an education, though?”

“Yes I do, and it’s not very high.”

“Did you tell this to [your teacher] Mrs. Baugh?”

“No.”

“What do you think she’d say if you did?”

Kavin’s eyes got wide but he didn’t respond. I decided it was time for him to take his morning pills. As I went for them I thought of something that might make school more appealing to Kavin since he hates handwriting.

“The K-12 computers in the garage. Or maybe we can get the old one that’s at the office working. Do you do keyboarding?” He shook his head. “It’s more education for you but definitely worth it, because no matter how bad your handwriting it, knowing how to keyboard will level the field.”

Kavin thought about this, then asked, “Why did they call it ‘hand-writing’ before computers? What other kind of writing was there?”

“Penmanship,” I replied. “People had to learn how to use pen and ink without having ink spots or ink running down the page.”

“But why did they call it ‘hand-writing,’” he persisted. “Wouldn’t it just be writing?”

I handed his pills to him but didn’t provide him an answer. My mind had gone off to think about a different word, “penmanship.” I’m sure there must be a gender-neutral version of the word but for the life of me, I just couldn’t think of what it would be. Can you?