Friday, November 16, 2007

Don't ask if you can't handle the answer...




The temporary exhibit at Science World just recently changed. All summer, Grossology was there...this was a display devoted to the nasty functions of the human body. Molly hated it. Big time. You know how some people threaten kids with the Boogeyman? If Molly was misbehaving, an ideal threat was time spent in Grossology. She despised every component, finding them all distasteful and stinky. Every time we mentioned Science World, she felt compelled to illicit a promise from everyone going with us that the Grossology room was to be avoided by each member of the visiting party. No exceptions. Finny, who wasn't a fan of the exhibit either, became a fan...just because it drove Molly crazy: "Yeah Molly, me might go in there..."

So, we eagerly awaited the switch to something new. And it finally happened. Today was our first time going back since the new exhibit opened. Unfortunately, it still deals with the human body, but not with the sole purpose of disgusting the viewer. We were optimistic.

One of the very first things we did in the new exhibit was try out this very cool software that takes a photo of you, then ages you. Fun, right?

Molly went first. Then, when confronted by her 70 year-old face, she started to quiver. She put her hand over the screen and wouldn't look any more. With her palm still pressed against the picture, she turned to me and said, "How do I not make this my face? How????!!!"

Well. If I knew the answer to that, Estee Lauder would be beating a path to my door. Lamely, I told her to wear sunscreen and drink lots of water. Since then, I have been treated to a machine gun of questions about aging. I have been trying to tell her that only the lucky get old, but I suspect the finer and more philosophical points of the benefits of wrinkles are lost on her for now. Walking back to the car, she kept asking me for water. I kept telling her there was a water bottle in the stroller. After she asked for the tenth time, I blurted out, "I've told you a million times. Why don't you listen? In the stroller! IN THE STROLLER!!"

I was met with this: "Why don't you listen to me? I have told you a hundred times. Not this water...water for MY LIFE. For my WRINKLES!" Wow.

She eventually told us that she wished she could erase the picture from her head. She wished she had never seen it.

Anyone know when Grossology is coming back to town?

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