This summer we took a wonderful trip out east. Here's one of my highlights:
We were taking a self-guided tour of Paul Revere's house. It was small and cramped and dark as houses were back in the day. As I came into the upstairs bedroom of Mrs. and Mr. Revere there was a large group of 10-13 year old kids getting a guided tour. The tour guide was standing behind a rope by the canopied bed. Around her were sewing projects, half-made dolls, a slate and some chalk, but behind her was a large bed. As I tried to make my way through the children to the next room the guide said, "Now, back in the 1700's bedrooms were not used JUST for sleeping." Then she asked, she asked 10-13 year old boys, she asked them, "Can anyone name one other thing they might have done in this bedroom besides sleeping?"
Oh lordy. The looks on the faces of the boys. They were postively BURSTING with the desire to answer this woman with what they were thinking. SEX!!! Someone had asked them a question where a legitimate answer was sex. I mean the Reveres had something like 13 kids after all. They had just learned this. Eyeballs were strained to their very limit as the boys tried to judge their leaders' response if they were to actually answer the question posed. I had to cover my mouth and practically run from the room. It is interesting to note that several girls put their hands up immediatly and said things like, "sewing? playing games? reading?".
For the rest of the day I kept getting the giggles as I pictured those boys trying to contain thier laughter. I didn't do as well as they did. Finally I had to explain to my own 10 and 13 year old boys what had happened. I didn't know if they would get why the boys were so bound up with joy. But of course they did. As soon as I posed the tour guide's question my boys died. I did too. It was lovely.
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