It’s not easy being the son or daughter of an economist.
When my daughter was eight-years-old she received an American Girl doll game. It’s a role-playing game where eight girls dress up in period costumes and, with their favorite doll beside them, each plays a role by reading a script that portrays life in a wealthy 1905-era family. They each read their prepared script and try to solve a puzzle before the end of the game, at which point the solution to the mystery is revealed. Only six of the seven girls my daughter invited over to play the game were able to make it, so I played the role of Aunt Gert (un-costumed and sans doll, of course). In the middle of the game I stopped play to emphatically point out that half of the girls were playing roles of servant girls who attended to the other half. I then asked how many of them in real life were ever either servants or had servants attend to them. No one answered affirmatively. My daughter’s glare indicated that it was time to get back to the game.
We go to museums on occasion and I make it a point to explain to my kids something pertaining to the periods in which certain paintings and sculptures were created. For example, I explain to them that paintings depicting food and fat babies were means of signaling the wealth and prosperity of the family that commissioned the work. (This was pre-1800s, after which time such prosperity was so prevalent that such paintings did not necessarily signal the family's superior status). The kids bored easily and begged me to take them to the cafeteria.
The other day we were shopping at the local Asian food market. They were intrigued by all the animal parts in the meat section, including trays of chicken feet (including the talons), bull penises, pig hearts, cow’s tongue, stomachs, and ox tail. They were also fascinated by the whole ducks, beaks and all. I explained to them that many Asians live in extreme poverty and as part of their culture you don't throw things like that away - if it is edible it is food. I went on to point out that we are wealthy enough in this country that even though such stuff is fit for human consumption, we throw such stuff away because we have enough other stuff to eat. They quickly tired of the lesson and implored me to buy them an Asian treat. I should have bought them some durian ice cream. Fittingly, it smells like decaying flesh.
Comments