Who Would Have Thought?

Teenagers often surprise themselves with their own brilliance.  In fact, there is often nothing that fascinates the typical teenager more than himself.  The teenage years are a decade of self awareness, and a time when they are supposed to be developing a healthy sense of self, so I am not saying this as a negative observation at all, I'm just stating a fact.  I noticed this most when teaching high school, and now that my oldest son is approaching the teenage years, I am experiencing this phenomenon in my own home.

It takes a lot these days to make my older son say "Wow!"  Just as it took a lot for my high school students to be impressed.  No matter how interesting the topic we were learning, it was never as brilliant as a funny line from one of the students, and often the student who made that comment was laughing the most at her own genius.

On the other hand, people can deviate from their own personality, and this can happen with teenagers as well.  It is very refreshing to witness this happening.  (In fact, any deviation from normal teenage actions is refreshing.)  I witnessed such an event today, with my own eyes, otherwise I never would have believed it.  Actually, it was with my own ears, since I was driving and this came from the back of the car.  Let me tell you what happened. 

We went to an exhibit about the life and work of Leonardo Da Vinci.  My almost-teenage-in-years-but-completely-teenage-in-actions son listened to the docent the entire tour, and then spent time looking around the exhibit on his own, taking everything in.  I was impressed with his interest in Da Vinci's work, and watching him I knew he was learning a lot.  I was curious about his impression of the exhibit and of Da Vinci, but at the same time I knew that he would probably shrug his shoulders if asked and just respond, "It was okay."  Imagine my surprise when he expressed awe at Da Vinci's work!  In a voice of awe that I remember from his childhood years (oh how I miss those years!), he said, "Da Vinci was a genious!"  He sure was, I responded.  But my son wasn't done surprising me.  "If Da Vinci was so smart," again childhood voice of awe, "imagine how smart Shlomo Hamelech (King Soloman) was!  Da Vinci isn't even the smartest man of all time!  Imagine!"

Wow!  I certainly am surprised.  But not for the reason he thinks.