Ginger Unplugged

The other day my daughter and son came home and, as usual, reported on their day. "I got kicked off my football team," Son said. "I made a touchdown...for the other guys." "Ahhhh, don't worry about it," Daughter replied. "Tomorrow, today's mistakes will be yesterday's gossip." Wow, I thought, and this from a 4th grader. I was so proud. "Yeah, they'll let you back on the team tomorow for sure," she added with a smile. And then she clenched her fist. "And if they don't, tell them your sister will beat them up." Now that's advice.

One of my writing friends recently asked what scares me. Apparently, this was one her children's school assignments--to ask adults this question. First of all, school assignments are a lot more interesting than I remember them to be. My instinctual answers to this question were your average: haunted things, big sweaty men with beady eyes, robot spiders... But then my children wanted to help by offering what they thought my fears were: The baby in your tummy is going to get so big you explode. Checkers that turn into monsters and eat people. Cleaning supplies running low. And, what they think I believe would be most terrifying--me turning into a nostril.