a conversation overheard

Luc is fascinated by war games. Playing “army men” with a thousand little people, animals, aliens, and monsters, plus setting up massive bunkers and fortresses out of blocks and legos and castles, endlessly working out battle strategies and outcomes. “Look at my line up!” he says. “Who do you think will win?” is his favorite conversation.

Today, Sophie had had enough. “Luc, all you want to do is war. I’m sick of war. You love war too much!”

Luc rolled his eyes. “I do not love war. I love PLAYING war.”

My ears perked up.

“If there was a real war,” Luc went on, building up a lego robot, “I would run away. If there was a war in our country, I would move. Playing war is fun. Real war is stupid.”

I swear to god, that’s what he said. I mean, how wise is that? My kid needs to sit down with some world leaders and explain this whole War vs Playing War thing to them, don’t you think? What a great distinction to make.

Sophie, on the other hand, was unimpressed. “Fine,” she said, “but I want to play Yard Sale.”

Battle vs Commerce. The timeless conflict.