Owls really do impart wisdom. . .
As I was busy making dinner recently, my son sat at the kitchen counter with his laptop surfing the internet for 'funny videos' - feats of daring, epic fails, anything to while away the time before dinner was ready. He came across a video with an intriguing headline and read it aloud to me -
A Popular London Bar Has a New Waitress, and It's An Owl
"Puh-leeeze', he sneered sarcastically, "how can an owl be a waitress? What do they do, carry little glasses in their talons?' At almost 14 he's developing that snarky cynicism that's part and parcel of being a teenager. Determined to get to the bottom of this curious claim, he watched the video and, as suspected, it didn't feature any owls dive bombing bar patrons with chocolate martinis at some Hitchcockian happy hour.
His disappointment evident, he lamented, "Why is it they always make things seem soooo exciting and then you click on it and it's not exciting AT ALL?!?!"
Upon hearing those words sail out of his mouth, I felt my parenting senses tingling. As I stopped chopping peppers and turned around to face him, I heard a clarion call to action, an order to march forth into the minefield that is parenting a teenager and heed the following command -
{Insert Teachable Moment Here}
During these precarious teenage years, broaching almost any subject with your teen can be tricky. So in my most casual, non-judgmental, un-preachy, make-him-think-he-thought-of-it-himself mom tone of voice, I said "You know, you bring up a good point. Sometimes things aren't what they seem. I hope you can remember that when you're, like, at a party some night and someone offers you, um, say {here it comes} a beer or a joint. . ." I trailed off, giving him what I hoped was a subtle prompt as I held my breath expectantly.
And with a requisite roll of his beautiful brown eyes, he continued my thought with, "Yeah, I know, it might look like fun but it really isn't fun. I get it."
"Okay then", I breathed, and, with a smile on my face, continued preparing dinner. And made a mental note to send a donation to The National Audubon Society.
For the owls.
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