A Simple Push of a Button

After enjoying BHE's artwork, I thought I had no energy left to write anything.

I fooled myself!

On to my thoughts about my push button life. My children are being raised to push buttons. At the push of a button, they have:

clean dishes,

clean clothing,

light,

warm food,

heat,

air conditioning,

cold beverages,

pictures,

music,

television,

friends,

connections to the entire world.

Additionally, they have a car which starts via the button thing and it has doors which open and shut and lock via the same said button thing.

When my children need to get into the house, they push another button and the garage door opens, symbolically welcoming them home.

It's sad, but last week a gear in the garage door opener died. Checkered miraculously breathed new life into it and we all cheered, for we were exhausted from manually opening the door for a few days. But the fix didn't last, and we have opted not to replace the part. What that means in my children's vernacular is that they must physically lift and close the garage door now and forever more.

BUT - when the garage door closes, it automatically locks. So thinking how my two oldest children could theoretically find themselves locked out after school, I had house keys made for each of them.

I was touched at their independence. I was proud of their growth. I was relieved to know they wouldn't be left outside some snowy day.

So the keys were presented. And my children stood dumbfounded by the gift. I explained how the garage door opener no longer works. I explained that they could no longer access the house by pushing a button.

The children carefully examined their new keys and asked,


"How do these work?"

I promise you, that is exactly what they said.