"I'm just standing here watching it happen."

The title of this piece refers to what inevitably happens toward the end of a SOLE. At some point the kids just get on a roll, and any interruptions, even ones that are meant to be encouraging, just get in their way.

Once curiosity has grabbed someone and they start pushing beyond the original question--the question in case of the kids of Wanaque Library back on November 16th was “Why does night happen?"--they find amazing things and the grown-ups are left with little else to do but let go.

They may start by making some guesses.

And follow that with some basic scientific learning.

But when curiosity takes over, children will inevitably have more questions and wonderings. They may wonder what would happen to earth if it were day time all the time. They may make some clever quip about how scary movies won’t be as scary.

They may create some great tool to explain what happens, like say a makeshift moveable model of the Sun Earth and Moon.

Which of course was made to partner up with a diagram with sun rays and all.

And while at that point, all I can do is get in the way, and there is nothing else left to do but stand by and watch the learning happen.

Thanks, Wanaque. Can’t wait to see you all again!