Non Sequitur

When we're driving in the car Ben sometimes requests specific topics of conversation. This morning he requested to talk about dinosaurs. What about them? I asked. He said he wanted to know how there had come to be dinosaurs a long time ago and why there weren't any anymore.

So I obligingly launched into an abbreviated explanation of life on Earth - how life started in the water, eventually leading to fish, amphibians, reptiles, and dinosaurs. Then I explained about the climate of the Earth at that time and how likely a meteor crashed into Earth and caused the weather to become too cold for dinosaurs and how they eventually all died and mammals took over. Warming up to the subject - no pun intended - I explained the differences between mammals and reptiles and how mammals are better suited than reptiles to live in colder climates. I ended with a soliloquoy about humans-as-mammals and how our brains make us the most dangerous animal of all. I was really rather proud of myself, especially considering this was all before my morning coffee so I was not properly awake.

When I finished my speech -- which Ben had remained remarkably silent through -- I asked did he have any questions?

"Yes," he said. "Did you know that Stretch-Out on Krypto the Superdog can turn into anything? Like if Krypto or somebody is in the water, he could turn into a boat."

Hmmm... looks like I lost him somewhere...