Kevin's Big Idea

One day, a five-year-old boy named Kevin asked his mommy, "What should I be when I grow up?"

His mommy looked at him with a smile on her face and answered, "You can be anything you want to be if you work hard to get there."

"How hard?" asked Kevin.

"Well," said his mommy, "if you want to be a firefighter, you will need to be big and strong to carry heavy hoses and other things around."

"I don't want to be a firefighter, Mommy." said Kevin. "they get much too hot."

His mommy giggled and then she asked, "How about a penguin trainer?"

"I don't want to be a penguin trainer, Mommy," replied Kevin with a shiver. "they get much too cold."

"Oh dear!!" said his mommy. "Why don't we ask Daddy for some ideas."

They both walked into the living room and found Kevin's daddy reading the newspaper.

"Daddy," asked Kevin, "what should I be when I grow up?"

At first, his daddy did not even look up from his paper, until Kevin's mommy gave his arm a poke, and he looked at Kevin.

"Well," said his daddy, "what if you became a fisherman? You would sail all day in rain or shine, and catch fish to sell at the market."

Kevin shook his head. "I don't want to be a fisherman, Daddy. They get much too wet."

His daddy laughed and then said, "How about a desert tour guide? You could show people around the desert and teach them to ride camels."

"No," said Kevin."they get much too dry."

All of a sudden, Kevin jumped up into his mommy's arms and yelled, "Mommy!!! I know what I want to be when I grow up... A DRAGON!!!! I better get practicing now if I want to be a big strong dragon."

He jumped down from his mommy's arms and started racing around the living room, flapping his arms as hard as he could.

His mommy and daddy looked at each other and smiled. Then his daddy got up and said, "I guess you will need some wings." He then went to the art cabinet and got out markers, cardboard and safety scissors.

Kevin joined his daddy on the floor and began to colour his wings.

Mommies and daddies always understand.