May the force be with you…

08 Feb 2012 5 Comments

by heathersprague in Uncategorized Tags: imagination, Jedi, Library books, Spock, Star Trek, Star Wars

Or something like that….

Every Friday is Library day for Carter. His love for reading astounds me, after all I was never a very good reader, I have no attention span and very poor reading comprehension. I love that he loves it though, there is nothing better than to watch his little face light up with excitement, curiosity, fear, and wonder. His little mind really does travel to the far away places in his books, he often dreams about his books and tells us about it at breakfast. He is usually pretty proud of taking a book home from the library and looks forward to reading the book over the course of the weekend and following week. Lately he has been bringing home Star Wars books. I know nothing, absolutely nothing about Star Wars. Except when I was younger people called me spock because for some reason the top of my ear doesn’t completely curl around, Kody thinks it looks like a mouse nibbled part of my ear, the jerks in elementary school thought it resembled spock ears. For the record I like my ears just the way they are. Oh wait, Spock was on Star Trek, see I know zilch about Star Wars. I did once get a Valentine with that little green monster on in it said “Yoda one for me” SO cute, in the following weeks that guy who said I was the one, apparently also thought my best friend (at the time) was the one too. asshole.

So last week Carter and I began to read his book it was all about the Star Wars characters, how they came to be, what their roles were in the story, it explained their powers and how they were to use them. Carter was particularly interested in the “Jedi”. If you’re an avid Star Wars fan, I apologize in advance for my lack of knowledge and I hope I don’t offend anyone with my ignorance on the topic. So the book proceeded to explain that the Jedi use “the force” and also a lightsabre all of which Carter was ready to sign up for. We then got to the part where it explains that to become a Jedi you must leave your family, friends, home, and even earth forever. You go to another planet to train, and never return. Your life is now to fight the Dark Side forever. This all threw a wrench in Carters plans. He was committed until that part. He started to ask me questions like “so if I go mom can I come back to visit you” I said no, “well mom what if I just go for a little while” I’m sorry Carter but apparently if you go you make the commitment to be gone forever “mom can i take my kaloos? (his favorite bears)” I don’t think so buddy. This conversation actually went on for about 10 mins. To be honest at one point I started actually thinking this planet existed, I was trying to brainstorm ways this poor kid could go for a while then come home.

Someone put a drink in my hand.

Carter talked about it for the following days, asking a question here and there, this was weighing on this kids mind heavy. I caught him deep in thought a few times and when I asked him what he was thinking about he simply said “the Jedi mom”. I didn’t want to burst his bubble, his imagination has run off and that’s the beauty of childhood, however I felt sort of bad that the poor little guy was in such turmoil inside trying to figure out how to have his cake and eat it too. Such is life my child.

Fast forward a week or so to yesterday. Carter came home from school he had a half day, he came in the house ate a snack he was particularly quiet. I’m not complaining. I was changing a diaper, doing housework, fishing legos out of the toilet, folding laundry, the usual. When I walked past the front door and saw some kid halfway down the street in a t-shirt and snow boots. Ignorant parents. I kept doing what I was doing, a few minutes went by and I walked by the window again. FOR SHIT SAKES IT WAS CARTER. I run to the front door, scream on the top of my lungs, he kept going. CARTER SPRAGUE!!!!!! —me yelling. He turns and looks back. I said “GET OVER HERE” he stopped turned around, and just stood there. I hope the neighbors didn’t see this. I proceeded to threaten him, he just stood there. I finally decided to ask “What are you doing?” He said “Mom I’ve decided to go be a Jedi, I didn’t say goodbye because it was just too sad” at this point I am walking towards him, he starts walking towards me. He was on the verge of tears. I am not sure if he was scared of me, or actually sad that he had made his mind up to leave us all for good. This has clearly gone to far. We walk back to the house. I gave him a long lecture on leaving the house, running away, kidnappers the bad  fashion statement he was making in that outfit…etc.

By the time Kody got home I was over it, and to the point where I found it quite comical. Kody asked why Carter was “on my list” (I have a list it up to each member of this family to stay off of it each day) trust me you don’t want to be on it. Just ask them. I could barely get the words out of my mouth to explain to Kody what had happened. Saying it out loud was just too much. Carter left today to head to some planet for Jedi training, never to be seen or heard from again, except I happened to walk by the window and catch him on his way out.

Either this kid thinks I totally suck as a mom, or he really felt that strongly about lightsabres and fighting the darkside.

Either way someone please put that drink in my hand.

I can’t help but wonder how far my little Jedi would have gone.