Why is the back seat of my car a tiny twilight zone? Kids have been climbing into my back seat for almost 20 years and once safely strapped in, seem to propel us all into an alternate universe. I’ve heard kindergarteners discuss the unfairness of priests not being allowed to be nuns, arguments over which Pokemon is best, questions on sex, drugs, politics and religion (and it doesn’t matter whose kids are sitting back there – all kids seem affected by this magical zone). And let’s not forget those difficult questions from kids who are not your own. “My mom and dad don’t sleep in the same bed – how come? Do you and your husband?” “If Jesus was Jewish home come Santa doesn’t come to my house and why do I have to be Jewish all the time – couldn’t I sometimes be Christian?” (my own child’s rebuttal to that is “He gets presents every day for 8 days – can I be a little bit Jewish?”). “When if I don’t like Heaven when I get old and die? Where will I go then?”
Then there is the bizarre buffoonery that seems to infect my own three children (aged 19, 16 and 9). The seven minute drive from Grandma and Grandpa’s house after a holiday meal can seem like an hour. First there is the gas issue…you know what I’m talking about – this sends the other two into screams and dramatic gasping while trying to open the window to which, the offender immediately closes (ahh – electronics). Then there are the crazy comments and jokes which render me painfully hysterical – sometimes because they are actually very funny – sometimes because I’m just so damn tired. A 15 minute trip to the mall is even longer, although gas is never an issue then – but the argument over which store we are going into and for how long is.
That back seat is a world unto itself and it doesn’t seem to matter how many cars I’ve owned, that world seems to move along with me…….maybe it’s me? None of my other friends who shlepp kids around seem to have this issue (except perhaps the sibling-gas issue). Then again, maybe it is me, maybe they feel that they are both comfortable and safe to ask, discuss or just plain talk about whatever comes into their mind. That thought makes me feel very good about being in the Driver’s Seat.
