State of Mind

Marty and Casey keep playing this iPhone app called "Stacking the States." It's one of those educational ones...they answer multiple choice questions about states and then they've got to stack them on top of each other to hit a certain point. It's kind of like reverse "Tetris."

Of course, the first problem with this is that Casey can't read. Or, at least in grand kindergarten fashion, he claims that he can't read. Of course, when he wants to read he suddenly knows a lot more words. But, in this case, even Marty has trouble figuring out how to pronounce some city and landmark names that he's been unfamiliar with until now. So, what that means is that when Casey plays the game, it really means that I'm playing the game. It goes something like this:

Casey: "What's the answer?"
Me: "I can't see the screen. What's the question?"
Casey: "I can't read it."
Me: "Try to read it."
Casey: "What...state...has...Mmmm...Mmmm...Ah...Nnnn....Ick..."
Me: "Let me just see the stupid thing...Monticello."
Casey: "Yeah, which one. (Looking at the screen again) Montana, Texas, Indiana or Virginia."
Me: "I thought you can't read."
Casey: "I can't. Where's Monticello?"

It goes on like that for the better part of an hour most of the time.

More troubling though is that Marty has now started to build an affinity for certain states. There's always been talk of states, I guess, in our house because we have that weird quirk where all four members of our family were born in different states...me in Delaware, Amy in Indiana, Marty in California and Casey in Michigan. Not even all of our pets are from the same state. So, I suppose it's not surprising that there would be interest in the geography of the U.S. Which, I'm totally fine with.

However, it's the states that he's taken a liking to that have me perplexed. First, there's Alaska. I suppose that's not entirely unthinkable. It's way up north. It's big. It's got stuff like moose and reindeer. I've never been overly interested in it, but I've never been as big on the Upper Penisula of Michigan, or Northern Wisconsin or, well, Canada as other people I know. To me, Alaska has always just been some giant landmass state that is economically important because of it's huge reserve of natural resources. I know, having talked to others, that there's some romantic, Jack London-y, part to it. It's supposedly breathtaking (never been there, but Amy has...which now makes her fascinating to Marty). I don't get romantic about the northern climates...I prefer desserts...but if that's what you like, then have at it.

But, his other new favorite state in Nebraska. Nebraska?! The freakin' Cornhusker state. What's worse, he keeps wanting me to like Nebraska, too. Amy, who has been riding the wave of her Alaskan triumph, of course made sure to note that she "kind of" likes Nebraska.

This is a problem, because -- no offense to Tom Osbourne and the boys -- but I don't really like Nebraska. I've never been a fan of the plains states, if you must know. Many people I like have a strong affinity for Kansas, so perhaps I would make an exception there, but otherwise I could do without the flattened view and amber waves of grain.

Now, admittedly, my problem with the state of Nebraska is strictly a selfish one. I have never spent a great deal of time there. What I have done, however, on multiple occasions, is drive through the state coming or going to a coast. It's flat and it's long and that's no fun.

Ever had to drive through Nebraska in the middle of the night in a moving van, with bad shocks and nothing but an AM radio? Well, you haven't lived until you've tried it. I listened to an hour long show with people talking about alien abductions as though they were fact based events...and almost panicked when it went off the air, becuase it had taken me an hour just to find something that remotely interesting to keep me from becoming hypnotized by the straight, straight, straight road ahead.

I don't why it's such a problem for me to have a son that now likes a state where I've had to avoid sleeping truckers coming into my lane repeatedly or where my lasting culinary impression is stale coffee from a Love's Truck Stop.

Just to add insult to injury, Marty also kind of likes Rhode Island. He finds it interesting because it's the smallest state (which the opposite is also the appeal of Alaska). However, I'm from Delaware...otherwise known as the second smallest state (even though it's the First State). I grew up hating Rhode Island and it's stupid smaller square mileage than my birth state. Not even the Farrelly brothers repeated attempts to make me think Providence is a great place has changed my mind.

Since I value individuality, I should be happy that Marty has his own likes and dislikes. His own thoughts and ideas. His own dreams.

I just wish he were more like me.