childhood lesson #47:You are not a comicbook hero

Conversation in our living room, last night.

ME, indignant. "Who threw a hammer at the pumphouse door?!"

ALL 3 BOYS: "Not me!"

ME, frustrated: "SOMEONE did. There is a dent in the door and a hammer laying in front of it. Clearly, somebody hit the door!"

A BOY, guiltily: "I might have tossed the hammer in the general direction of the door, but I didn't MEAN to hit it."

ME, irritated: "Well that just isn't smart, son. Why would you DO that?

BOY: "I don't know."

ME, quieter: "You need to be more careful, okay?
Because now there's a big, ugly dent in the door.
Do you have the money to pay for a new one?"

BOY: "But I didn't MEAN to make a dent!"

ME: "That's my point-you need to think before you act!
I mean, that's just stupid...who throws hammers?!"

BOY: Ummm. Thor.

Little Brother (piping up in his defense):
"And Mario, on the Gameboy."

3rd boy: "Yeah! Maybe lots of people really like throwing hammers?!"

ME: "Well, not us. No one in OUR FAMILY better throw a hammer, again. Got it?"

ALL 3: "Yes ma'am."