Life Lesson

To say that growing up with the Captain and the First Mate was an adventure, or was interesting, would be an understatement. For his part, the Captain, dealing with a house full of girls and then women, certainly took his share of abuse and put up with a lot of . Still does, in fact.

We learned early on that Daddy could do no wrong and that there was nothing we couldn't ask him- well, almost nothing. Daddy is pretty open to most things but eventually we all learn that there are some conversations better left unhad, and questions better left unasked.

This morning, I slipped up. I did the unthinkable. I asked one of those taboo questions. I asked it so innocently too, as if I had just asked him how they built those smokestacks in Knoxville. It was such a simple question, with such unanticipated results!

"Should I go in the pool or take a shower?"

Well, now, the wheels are turning in some heads as the High Cs surely must be contemplating the pool vs shower equivalent of, "They get Mexicans in helicopters to build those smokestacks from the top down!"

"Go in the pool," he exclaimed. "The water's poured already!" Then, after a short pause, he added, naturally, "And it's paid for, too!"

But I needed to be clean as well as refreshed, and my brain was spent, so I stupidly continued, "Oh, OK, can I take a bar of soap in the pool?"

From the master bedroom, the First Mate yelled, "Sure! Why not!"

So I got into my bathing suit (yeah, yeah I was dressed, none of that stuff), removed the bar of soap from the shower, and headed outside.

As I reached the kitchen door, I heard Mommy turn on her shower, so I complained to Daddy, "Hey, she's cheating!"

"Yeah, but she didn't ask my opinion!"