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With the four of us in the house pretty much all day, every day, most of our conversations (outside of Zoom conferences) have been with each other.
Sometimes they catch me slipping into academic mode. Monday afternoon, as The Girl (who is 15) and I walked the dog:
TG (referring to one of her friends): He has some quirky interests, but I guess we all do. Like you have a thing about presidential elections.
Me (chuckling): True.
TG: What’s your favorite election?
Me: Oh, that’s easy -- 1912, because it was just so weird. Teddy Roosevelt came out of retirement to run for a third term, on a third-party ticket, and came in second. Taft, the incumbent, came in third! And Eugene Debs, running as a socialist, got 6 percent of the vote.
TG: Who won?
Me: Woodrow Wilson. He didn’t get a majority, but the Republicans were split between Roosevelt and Taft.
TG: Wait, a socialist got 6 percent?
Me: Yeah. Remember, the Russian revolution hadn’t happened yet. That didn’t come along until 1917. So socialism wasn’t seen as “Russian” the way it would be later.
TG: It isn’t now.
Me (chuckling): That’s generational. For people your age, that’s right. I grew up in the Cold War, though, so a word like “socialist” still carries those associations for people my age and older.
TG: My friend (name) says he’s a communist.
Me: (raised eyebrow)
TG: But he’s not planning a coup or anything.
Me: Well, that’s good.
TG: I took a quiz online. It said I fit with “market socialism.” What’s that?
Me: Like in Sweden. Make the basics of life public, like health care and college, but leave the rest to the market. That way everybody has a floor, but you can still lead the life you want.
TG: Well, what’s wrong with that?
Me: The taxes are high.
TG: Who cares? Tuition is high!
Me: Also true.
And then the conversation turned to her somewhat astringent assessment of Joe Biden.
I liked that she was willing to tease me a little about my interests but then engage anyway. The discussion wasn’t exactly graduate-seminar level, but for a spontaneous conversation while walking the dog, I thought it went well. And I was impressed that she had taken the initiative on her own to take one of those political ideology quizzes online, just out of personal interest.
Some parents pass along musical talent, or athletic prowess, or social grace. I pass along a fascination with the election of 1912.
The kids will be really excited when the lockdown is over.
