Since he could talk, reason and ask questions, he did and often. Not the usual questions parents are warned about like, "Why is the sky blue?" He asked things like, "What are car doors made out of," or, "How do you make glass?"
We were on along for the ride on his quest for a lifetime of answers. We supplied them when we could and pointed him to reference materials when needed. His journey began before Internet search engines and sometimes we actually went to the library to find out the "what's" or "how's" together.
He did like cartoons, but he was equally happy watching Discovery channel type shows and even today will watch "Gold Rush," or "Top Gear" on the BBC (the American version simply isn't the same). We've watched biography's, how things are made, Dirty Jobs and a few Animal Kingdom-ish shows.
Tonight (and yes, this has happened in the past), he stood with me toward the end of the meal being prepared and questioned me about the process' involved in everything from gravy from scratch, mashed potatoes (type used, length of time cooked, ratio of butter and milk and amount of mashing time), string bean preparation and the pros and cons of using flour or cornstarch to thicken gravy. The thought process is the same, he will take away the information, digest and return (might not be for a year, could be tomorrow) and ask a few "what if's" like "what if you used russet potatoes because they were the only ones you have in the house," or "what if you use margarine instead of butter?" I'm ready for these.
I am caught off guard when we are in the middle of something completely unrelated and he will ask, "how did you know you wanted to marry Dad?" I will worry that is shopping for an engagement ring. Or if he asked me, "What do you think you would want your grandchildren to call you, like, grandma or mama or what?" On that day, I will need fresh air before answering, but someday in the future, it will be a fabulous moment.
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