How to Occupy a Child for 60 Seconds

While sitting here at Crazy Mocha, a hyperactive child wandered away from his parents and decided to befriend me. I suppose I look harmless enough. The kid was incredibly smart for his age (maybe 6) -- which is probably a trial for his mom, judging by her inability to impart a structure on him that would keep him from wandering away and talking to strangers -- so I let him carry the conversation.

He told me had a computer like mine at home, but his was a toy, it wasn't real. Then he asked if I was drinking hot chocolate. I told him I was drinking coffee. He said his mom was drinking a MIX of coffee and hot chocolate. (I have a feeling she was drinking it during her pregnancy as well.) I decided the safest thing to look at on my computer was Sports Illustrated's homepage, which had a picture of David Beckham on it. We talked about soccer -- he doesn't play -- and then he asked me what David Beckham's tattoos said. I had no idea, and told him so. More interestingly, I never would have noticed the tattoos myself. Kids are amazingly aware of things we take for granted, like what we're drinking in a cafe or what soccer players have written on their forearms.

By now, his mother noticed he had wandered away and explained to him from the doorway that I needed to get my "homework" done (I love looking collegiate). He lingered, until I mentioned he should probably listen to his mom, and then he scampered away.

Kids. Keep an eye on 'em, but they do pretty well on their own.