History

We let Nathan watch television for the first time ever tonight.  The three of us huddled around the tiny flat screen in our library and watched the first African American accept the nomination for the President of the United States.  And while I was crying because this election has proved what our parents always told us - that ANYONE can be WHATEVER they want to be - and what that means for my child, my son started clapping as he watched the screen.  Oh, I know he was reacting to the crowd on screen and he has no idea what a momentous occasion he witnessed. However, I hope than when he is old enough to realize what he watched that he is confused as to why we made a big deal.  Why we video-taped his chocolate pudding covered grinning face as a black man accepted the nomination for President.  I’m hoping he’ll be confused, not by the pudding - although I guess we could have picked a less messy dessert to eat in the library - but because he just sees a man wanting to be of service to his country.  I pray that by the time he watches the tape, we as a society will truly walk what we talk and that race and gender are not how we define what makes the person.

As for tonight, Nathan didn’t think too much into it - mostly “Hey!  They’re clapping!  I love clapping!  Oh!  Look!  Pudding!  I love pudding!  And clapping!  I might explode!  More pudding please!  More clapping please!”

Ps.  And not letting him watch any television until almost 15 months doesn’t make me a better mother than anyone else.  It just means we’ve never gotten back into the habit of turning on the television after Nathan was born.  We were too exhausted in the beginning and just haven’t missed it since.  We’re more apathetic, not better.