My boyhood fantasies!
Mother found herself being a Co-worker when her twelve-year-old son was about to enter junior high school. The night before his first date at the new school he said to her, "Mother,if there were war, would there be school?"
"Probably there would be," she said, "because the war wouldn't be there." "but if they dropped atomic bombs all around the school, would there be school?" Asked again. "Probably not," she said, "because there wouldn't be any school to go to."
Not yet ready to let it go, he said, "what if I enlisted the armed forces? Then I wouldn't have to finish school." He's twelve, you know.
"I think they would prefer that you had a high school diploma," she said. They talked for a few minutes about the limited career opportunities he might have without a high school diploma.
The mother didn't jump to any conclusion over her son's twisted fantasy about war and bombs and enlisting in the service. She realized that he was simply afraid to go to junior high school for the first time. Instead of making judgements, she listened.
Tribute to my lovely Mother!