Online Stories
Marta Patiño Douce would like to share with you these stories, written by her student Kenneth Foley. They that are true gems that only a geologist could appreciate.
The Rock that Lives in Tanner's Pocket
About five years ago we were visiting some friends in Michigan. My older son who at the time was only three years old became fascinated with the beach, the shells, and rocks. Well he found a rock under the Mackinaw Bridge that he quickly became attached to. He carried that rock around in his pocket the rest of the vacation. We did not give it a second thought; we assumed it would just end up lost.
Well he carried it in his pocket all the way home. He carried it in his pocket to Pre-K. He carried it in his pocket to Kindergarten. He carried it in his pocket to first grade. He carried it in his pocket to second grade. My wife and I have pulled it out of the washer or dryer at least a 100 times. Neither my wife nor I felt it necessary to ask him why, we thought maybe it was a security thing?
So after you said "Make them geologists!" I decided to ask him why he carried around that rock (He has a large rock and leaf collection). I did not know if he was serious or just having fun. Well, and it went pretty much like this, me, "Hey bud, why do you always carry that old rock around in your pocket?" Tanner replies, "It's not just a rock, it is a piece of the earth!" (This is where it gets a bit weird.) Me, "So why carry it around?" Tanner, "Well if an alien takes me away to outer space I won't be homesick, and if they forget where they got me I can show them my piece of earth." So I told him good thinking and that he should put a piece of moon rock in Mommy's purse. He thought that was funny!
Clash of the Young Geologist
I took my boys to see the new Clash of the Titans this past weekend (made them watch the '81 version first). Unfortunately we ended up sitting next to a chatty lady. At one point during the movie they do a fly over of what they portrayed as the entrance to Hades which was actually a volcano. The following conversation is verbatim and is fabulous! Chatty lady, "What is that?" Less chatty man, "Entrance to Hell?" My eight year old son responds, "Actually it's a caldera, a volcano opening that has at some point erupted and collapsed." Chatty lady says, "Oh hehe, so if I am there during an eruption I need to run!" My eight year old's retort, "No, you die!"
That woman did not say another word for the rest of the movie.
