Home, Jeeves

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of playing the role of chauffeur. Well, actually, I play this role all the time, but this time it was different.

Normally, I shuffle one kid at a time around, it's just me and him, in the car, going somewhere. And usually these transportation adventures involve lectures and talking to's and serious amounts of advice being dispensed that isn't really wanted. Lots of fun for them, NOT!! Incredibly satisfying for me. I feel very strongly that it's these car rides that are forming my children into the adults that, God willing, they will turn into. Yeah, okay, whatever....

But the other night I drove #1 and one of his friends to the city so they could go to a comedy show that #1 had won a couple of tickets for. He won them on the radio, one of those contests where you had to call in and identify who the celebrity was that was laughing. I gave him the answer. He called in. He won the tickets.

I thought he would take me. I mean, after all, I did give him the right answer.

But...no, he took a buddy. Which was okay. Well, not really, but I'm dealing with it. I'll be okay, really, I will...

Anyway, I had the pleasure of listening to these two sixteen year olds carry on and have a conversation. And I have to tell you blog readers, I'm concerned.

I'm not exactly sure what they were talking about because the words they were using, or perhaps it was the lack of!! and my interpretation of them, well, it just wasn't all coming together for me. As a matter of fact, I didn't have a freakin' clue.

"Dude...check it"

"Whoa, sick"

"Yeah dude ... sick"

"Dude! Check it.."

"Sick!!"

"Yeah Dude!!!"

Is it just me or has the art of communication with the youth of today been reduced to two or three words? It would appear, that in this day and age where they're using phones to text each other and wouldn't even consider talking on the damn thing, that they don't know how to talk to each other anymore. I mean, the above was the actual conversation, repeated over and over, during the 37 minute drive in to the venue. Sure they tossed some other stuff in there, but the majority of the convesations didn't have any more substance that what you read above.

Which got me to thinking. Maybe, on one of the many one on one drives that I do with my kids, I should just shut up and let them talk for a bit. I'm fairly certain that my silence would nearly kill them. And they would feel uncomfortable. And then they'd feel obligated to talk. And then, they'd learn how to communicate. How to speak. And have an actual conversation. With real words. Maybe not on the first ride, but surely to God by the 4th or 5th!

And I can answer with "yeah dude" "check it" "sick".

And I have absolutely no doubt that I would blow their minds!

Yeah Dude....