John Y’s Musings from the Middle: Prodigies and pretending to understand art

The other day a journalist friend came by my office with her 11 year old son who was wise beyond his years. I learned he was a gifted student who liked science and art.

I responded, “Wow. That’s a rare combination. Like someone who is good at both math and verbal on the SAT” to show I understood smart sounding stuff too.

I tried to engage the young man and encourage him. I asked him what science courses he liked and he said, I believe, bio-technology and I maybe something about genetics. Finally he mentioned chemistry. Yes! I was back in the conversation. I said, “Yeah, chemistry….Yeah. It’s tough isn’t it. That’s the one with the Periodic Tables and all those hard to remember formulas. I mean….you know, ummm….little um…you know. Little uh…formulas.”

“You mean, chemical elements?”

“That I do,” I said. “Yes, I mean the chemical elements.”

Excited to be engaged by an interested adult, he pulled out some art work for me to see. I perused it and tried to interpret it so he would think I knew more about art than my weak showing with science.

It was a complicated drawing with war and chaos and peace and tranquility juxtaposed.

I suggested, “I think I get this.” Adding, “I’ve always loved to artistic mind and trying to understand what motivates it.” I offered, “I think I get what you are saying here. You are saying there is a war….battle of some sort….and then after we get through that….after we get through that …there is peace and happiness. Right?”

“Yeah” my young friend said.

Then I focused in on the one part of the drawing I didn’t understand. There were two rabbits. One drawn in the war zone and the other in the peace zone.

“I’m thinking….the rabbits. I’m thinking the rabbits probably mean, or signify…..I’m not.. …No….Hmmm. I’m guessing the rabbits are to symbolize…..uh….I don’t know. Tell me about the…So, what do the rabbits stand for.”

“Oh, nothing” my young friend explained. “I just like rabbits.”

And finally a breakthrough for me. “I totally get that” I said. “I like rabbits too.”