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12/28/2008 - Sunday
  • 12/28/2008 10:00:00 PMTruth or FantasyOn Sunday afternoon - after the Green Bay Packers put the Detroit Lions into the history books as the worst NFL team ever (0 wins and 16 losses) we watched the movie Independence Day.  It stars Jeff Goldblum and Will Smith as survivors of an alien attack against the earth who eventually develop a computer virus that leads to the destruction of the aliens.  The only reason that this is important is because it is a purely science fiction story and Michael has some difficulty in discerning what is real.

    By default, if it is on the television - it is real.
    By default, if Michael says so - it is real (even after it is proven to be false)

    If it weren't such a serious problem, it would probably be funny.  Whenever we watch a movie - any movie, he believes it is true.  Sometimes he will ask me, "Dad, is this true?"  Then I will remind him that we are watching a story.

    Not too long ago, we were watching James Bond.  Michael had seen a lot of videos in the orphanage in Cheboksary, but he had never seen James Bond and I can understand why - the Russian's are always the bad guys.  Before watching, I told him that the Russian's will be depicted as the enemy but not to take it personally.  When the movie began (and again - this could be any movie), he slouched way down on the couch and tilted his head down.  His eyes open up very very wide as he enters a trance like state.  I'm not sure if the TV is controlling his mind, or he is focusing so hard on trying to control the characters in the story.  Either way, he seldom blinks.

    As the story began to unfold, Michael would begin his routine of asking question after question.

    Michael - "why he doin' dat dis?"
    Me - "What?"
    Michael - "why he doin' is dat he is Lussian?"
    Me - "What?"

    Eventually I will tell him to slow down and speak clearly - which he is more than capable of doing.  Sometimes the question takes so long to formulate that by the time it comes out clear enough to understand, it is a question that has no bearing on the story.  "Why are his shoes black?"  "Why did he throw the bag away?"

    One of his favorite stories is Star Wars.  Watching them always generates the same questions, "can we make a light sabre?", "Can I have a light sabre?", "How do you be a Jedi?".  Of course he is a little boy and this story appeals to the interests of little boys but his questions do not stop after the answer is given no matter how many times.

    "What kinds of crystles are in a light sabre?", "Do we have that kind around here?"

    After Independence Day was over, I reminded Michael that he had to go out and collect the chicken eggs for today.  It was dark out.  Michael ran as fast as he could to the barn and ran back.  He was terrified that either the aliens or the coyotes were going to get him.  We ate dinner and watched a little bit of "Buck Rogers" afterward.  Michael went to bed at 8:30 PM and Peggy and the other kids stayed up and watched more TV.  They came to bed around 11-ish.  Michael was still awake.  Eyes wide open, blanked pulled up around his neck.

    Mom - "What are you doing awake?"
    Michael - "I'm watching for the aliens."