It all began with some innocent little Smurf toys for Sam and his friend from a Happy Meal at the McDonald’s down at the Rivah. Then came the million dollar question on our way home, “Why are Smurfs blue?” So how do you respond to that rather existential one, especially when it’s asked a good 25 times in a row during stop-and-go beach/river traffic on Route 64? Here’s my best take! “Because whoever made them up decided to make them blue.” (Unfortunately that old standby “because I said so” just doesn’t fit here. I had no input whatsoever into the Smurf color and couldn’t pretend to be that all-powerful.) So here’s my ‘why’ question! Why must kids ask that over and over and over? Why? Why, especially when you tell them every time, “That is my Final Answer. I don’t know anymore.”
Yesterday was a classic one. As we were crossing over the hanging bridge to Belle Island, we overheard a two-year-old girl asking why there was scaffolding on the bridge. That seemed like a very valid question — and impressive — coming from a young toddler. She was puzzled and not quite satisfied with the answer, so she kept asking “Why?”over and over again.
Surprisingly Sam really didn’t care why there was scaffolding, I guess because it was not constructed out of LEGOs. He just had to ask repeatedly, “Why does that girl keep asking ‘why?'” Good question! Of course I was tempted to respond with “Why do YOU keep asking ‘why?'” Instead I summoned some patience from the depths of my soul and explained, “Well, she’s curious about the world and how it
works. It helps her learn.”
So why are Smurfs blue?
LibbY