i’m beginning to think that there’s something wrong with me as a parent. other parents talk with their kids about why the sky is blue; i talk about global warming. some parents talk about the instruments in the orchestra; i talk about why i prefer a live drummer to a synth track.

so it makes sense that this morning’s conversation followed suit. BC and i were driving to school this morning when gimme shelter came on the radio. this is probably among my favorite stones’ songs, if not the favorite. BC started to rock out, which was really cute and cool at the same time. i parked the car, and we got out of the car, BC singing “war, children — it’s just a shot away, it’s just a shot away.” and the conversation went from there…

BC: mama, what do they mean by that?

me: well, they mean it’s really easy to get into a war. but they also sing later that “love is just a kiss away,” which means that they think it’s just as easy to love as it is to fight, and why not pick love instead of fighting?

BC: what a cool song.

me: yeah, but it’s a depressing movie.

BC: i don’t want to watch it.

me: i won’t let you.

BC: why?

me: because, well… you see, in 1969, there was the concert called woodstock where they had so many people coming, they just threw up their hands and let anyone who wanted to come come in. and it was overall a pretty happy and peaceful event.

so then, later that year, they decided to throw another show at a place called altamont. unfortunately, they decided that this group of motorcycle riders called hells angels should keep everyone in line at the show. unfortunately, between people at the show being on drugs and drinking too much — which you know is a bad thing — and the hell angels people being pretty angry to begin with, well, it became a scary place and a man was killed there. they made a film about it, and it’s called gimme shelter. and you aren’t old enough to watch it yet.

i noticed about this time that another mom was walking with us in rapt attention. later, i walked up to her. “wow,” she said, “you really have different conversations with your kids.”

somewhere in heaven, dr. spock is probably rolling his eyes at me.