Jurassic Confessions

Jurassic Confessions December 28, 2010

Jenny told me not to tell anyone.

“Seriously,” my sister chastised me tonight.  “I know you like to write about what a bad education you got, but you can’t tell anyone that.  There’s no excuse for not knowing that.”

The that in question was the fact that I didn’t know until last year that there were no humans alive while the dinosaurs roamed the earth.

I learned it last year from Zach’s seven-year-old friend.  Zach and Ezra call him The Scientist “cuz he knows EVERYTHING about science, Mom.”  So I didn’t feel too bad about not knowing.  I mean, so what if he was seven?  I never claimed to be a scientist.

Besides, they don’t teach about dinosaurs in engineering school.  My only experience of dinosaurs was what I saw on The Flinstones and Land of the Lost.  And on those shows, there is lots of homo sapien-dinosauria interaction. Having polled many adults since finding out, even those who spent more time watching cartoons than NOVA programs, I can tell you with near certainty that I am the only adult on the planet who didn’t know.

Yet I tell you without shame that I had no idea.  As for Jenny’s shame at my public admission, I’ve done far worse and she still loves me.

As for the boys shame should they find out that their teacher doesn’t know stuff that all reasonable adults know, too bad.  If they bring it up, I’ll remind them that I gave up all of my free time, most of my sanity, and years of my life to spend time with them in museums making sure that they don’t end up like me.


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