solving the bigger world problems. or not.

I returned home with a bag full of groceries to make chili for dinner (yes, I know it is summer but my husband requested it!). As I was getting out of my car I waved to the neighbor boys sitting on the porch across the street. They were deep in conversation and acknowledged my presence with a faint nod. I set the groceries and Tumi bag on my porch so I could drag the dumpster from the street back to the house. When I got to the other side of the street and was about to take hold of the dumpster, I heard Jamaal say, "Miss Jenny will know." Jamaal is 9 or 10 and I think his friend is a little bit younger. The boys came up to me and said they had a question. I was expecting a question about the meaning of life or why Detroit is in the shambles it is in. I look just that smart, you know. I could not, however, have imagined the question that was asked of me.

Jamaal: Don't you think a black Hummer3 is better than a yellow one?
Other little boy: No, no Miss Jenny. The yellow ones are better.
Me: *blank stare*
Jamaal: You know, H3's? The black ones. They're better. Right?
Me: *blank stare but having to say something* Well.... do you mean that bright yellow, like a school bus? (the kid probably thinks I'm retarded because who has ever seen a pastel yellow H3?)
Other little boy: Yeah! The bright ones!
Me: Well, I kind of like the black ones but you know, they are harder to keep clean in the winter because of all the salt on the road.
Jamaal and Other little boy: *blank stares*
Jamaal to Other little boy: See, I told you the black ones are better.
Me: *walks away feeling old and married and totally out of touch with the youth of today but proud of myself for not lecturing them about not worrying about which color but how the urban assault vehicles are destroying the planet*

Guess they will think again about asking me to resolve their next dispute.