I actually wrote this story on a typewriter about 30 years ago.  I still as relevant as it was when I first wrote it.

…One bright and sunny Sunday afternoon I was doing what any red-blooded American male should be doing.  I was sitting in my easy chair dozing while the football game being broadcast on the TV provided the soothing sounds I needed for a nice nap.  All of a sudden, my state of sublime contentment (I was told that writers should always use flowery words) was interrupted by a small voice saying, “Dad, Dad!”.  I opened my eyes to find my five-year-old son next to me.  I was a bit upset to be disturbed during the game; however, I must admit that this method of getting my attention was a great improvement over the ones my son has implemented in the past.  His primary method over the years has been to run halfway across the room and dive into my midsection.  Anyway, now that he had my attention my son went on to ask me a question which will most likely be part of a “This Is Your Life” segment sometime in the future.  He said, “Dad, why doesn’t Fred have batteries?”  Now, to the uneducated this might seem a simple question, however, when you know that “Fred” is a three-inch-tall solid eraser replica of “Fred Flintstone” the question takes on a totally new meaning.  I had no idea how to respond.  What would Freud think?  Was this question a sign of a vivid imagination, boundless curiosity, or an excuse to bother Dad during his “football game”.

Since that day there have been many “Fred Questions”, ranging from “Why isn’t the grass blue?” to “Why do we have night?”.  I don’t think that there is any one reason for such questions.  Several things come into play in the questions asked by a child.  Certainly, one of the reasons for such questions is to get attention.  I’m sure that those of you who have experienced the Fred Questions will agree that they quite frequently come when you aren’t paying any attention to the child.  I don’t think, however, that the Fred Questions are simply an attention getting device.  I have come to feel that such questions appear to be nonsense to an adult because over the years we have structured our minds to a set of rules.  Such questions violate these rules and, as such, are unacceptable to any reasonable adult.  Yet, a child has not such restrictions or rules to restrain their creativity and imagination.  Children haven’t yet been taught the “rules”.  Perhaps our greatest scientists, inventors and artists were people who found the way to live in an adult society while continuing to ask and ponder the Fred Questions.  If you think about it, how many of our greatest discoveries were considered absolute nonsense prior to proof of the possibilities?  Can you imagine Papa Wright sitting in his easy chair when his two boys can in and asked, “Dad, why can’t people fly?”  How about Mr. Bell when his son Alexander asked, “Father, why can’t we talk with each other at long distance through a thin piece of wire?”  I’m sure we could all come up with endless examples of Fred Questions that made no sense at the time and ended up being revolutionary.  There have been adults throughout history that have expanded our horizons, many of which were thought to be “quacks” prior to their discoveries.  People like Galileo, Bell, Faraday, Edison, Copernicus, Einstein, Newton, etc.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that in all of our children we have budding geniuses, or that every Fred Question is an idea just waiting for discovery.  In addition, just asking Fred Questions isn’t enough to make dreams into realities.  I believe that Thomas Edison summed it up best when he said that “Real genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”  Yet could it be that some Fred Questions provide that initial one percent of inspiration?  If that is true, perhaps we should be more careful not to give an answer which inhibits such thinking.  Perhaps we should avoid responses like “that’s a silly question”.

Well, I certainly don’t claim to be an expert on any of the things I’ve talked about (at this point it might be questioned whether I’m even any good at putting thought down on paper).  I also must admit that I don’t have any startling revelations regarding how we should answer Fred Questions.  However, I have discovered that there is an ancient wisdom and response that gives the child direction, does not diminish any possible creative stirrings, and allows Dad to get back “his game”.  I now share this wisdom with all the Dads around the world.  The next time your child asks you a Fred Question look them straight in the eye, give off a knowing sigh that stresses the importance of the message to come and say, “Ask your Mother.”

Footnote:  That young boy who posed the Fred Question is now 38 years old and a full-time artist and high school art teacher… go figure.