R-E-S-P-E-C-T! and my own Wilde comment

I was not kidding when I said in my last post that I have developed great respect for my teenage son.

Yes, of course, he has his silly and awkward moments. We still do not see him except at meal times. But meal time conversations have become much more interesting.

Last Friday we went to the British Museum. He is very keen to study classics at university at the moment. Not terribly pragmatic, his father thinks. Still, Dad researched the British Museum online and decided that he would enjoy nosing around Rooms 77 and 78.

So you can understand Dad going nearly ballistic as we approached Rooms 77 and 78 and a sign said the rooms were closed. No explanation given.

We tried to get Dad to enjoy exhibits in the surrounding rooms, but Dad is Dad.

I found an intelligent looking staff sitting nearby and I thought, 'Perhaps I should ask him when the rooms would re-open.'

His answer surprised me, 'It's unlikely to open today.'

Me: I wasn't expecting it to be opened today. But is it going to be weeks, months?

Then he said they decided to close those rooms that day due to a lack of staff.

!!!!

So it is best to phone on the day to find out if those rooms are open.

Me: That's no good. If I told my husband that, he will go ballistic.

Him: [laughs]

Me: That's not funny.

Him: Sorry.

Anyway, we walked around other rooms with Greek and Latin bits. Then I realized that Son was telling us about the various exhibits there without him even having to look at the information on display. He was explaining how the pots were made, for example, and what they were used for, and by whom.

Clearly he knows much more about Greek and Roman civilizations that either my husband or I.

'I learned this at school, you know.'

RESPECT!

Earlier, as we entered the Museum (after walking past my former university and pointing out the Senate House doorway that I walked out of as I phoned my husband about being successful in my PhD viva) the security man looked into my bag and asked, 'Anything sharp?'

I looked at him after a momentary pause and replied in all sincerity, 'Only my mind.'

His response was loud laughter, 'Very good. Very good. Enjoy your visit!'

Thanks, we did. Despite the incredibly expensive food there. Having said that, the carrot cake I had (£4.75 or something like that) was the best I had ever tasted.

And we did not tell Dad about why Rooms 77 and 78 were closed until we got home.