City Boy

The boy and I took a road trip of sorts yesterday. We left suburbia and headed off to the 'big city'. We had to take hubby downtown and so while we were there, I thought we would do some sightseeing. We had been downtown earlier in the year and the boy had become obsessed with the streetcars that he saw, and the small signal lights that they got to use. And by obsessed I mean constantly talking about them, asking questions about them, and bringing them up in completely unrelated conversations.

We took public transit (the subway, a streetcar, and a bus) and went around the city. and the boy loved it! We live in the suburbs, so public transit is not something we use, we rely on our bikes, our feet, or our car to get around. So transit, coupled with visiting the big city was a huge treat for the boy. He loved watching everything go by from the window of the streetcar, and being  underground for the subway was such a thrill.

Using public transit is something that to most of us, is not an exciting occurrence. For many of us, it's a daily chore, something to be endured, not enjoyed. I commuted to university for four years, and never once did I look forward to the commute, except as somewhere to sleep, on the way home after a long day. But for the boy, it was an amazing thing, something he hasn't stopped talking about since. He's even added it into his make-believe games, pretending to be the streetcar driver and the guard on the subway, making the bonging noise for the doors to close! 

That's something that I often forget, things that seem mundane or ordinary to me, are probably novel and unique to the boy. I don't need to worry about boring him with outings and experiences, because they're fun and exciting for him. So next time we're planning something, I don't have to find something thrilling to do, anything mildly exciting seems to be enough, because as many times as I might have done something, it's still interesting for him. Maybe that's why he still finds housework so fun!