A Conversation With Reese

Setting: In the mountains deer hunting on the four-wheeler.  Reese is driving. We are turning back down the mountain towards the truck.

Reese:  I hate driving down-hill.  It is way more dangerous than driving uphill.  More accidents happen going downhill.

Mom: Really? How do you know that?

Reese:  When I was hiking a little while ago, I tripped two times going downhill.  I didn't trip at all going uphill.  I think that if up-hill and down hill had personalities, downhill would be mean and uphill would be nice.  Like ya know when you are walking uphill it would be saying "I know you can do it.  Keep on going.  You will make it to the top." And if you were walking down hill it would be mean and just laugh st you as you stumble down.  Do you know what my favorite kind of hill is? A flat hill.  You know ones that don't have a uphill or a down hill.

Mom:  A flat hill is an oxymoron.

Reese: What?

Mom:  If a hill is flat it is not a hill.

Reese: Oh.  What was that word you said again?

Mom:  Oxymoron?

Reese: (Laughing) Oxymoron.  That sounds funny, but I get it. Like Oxyclean gets things really clean.  Oxymoron means you're really a moron. (Laughing)

Mom:  No oxymoron is when you put two words together that contradict each other.

Reese: (Distracted) Oh.  Mom did you just feel that warm-chill?

Mom:  Warm-chill is an oxymoron.

Reese:  Do you know what I really don't get?

Mom:  What?

Reese:  Those animals that don't have skeletons.

Mom:  Invertebrates?

Reese:  Ya, like how does a jellyfish live without a skeleton?

Mom:  A jellyfish doesn't need a skeleton.

Reese:  Oh.  Does a mermaid have a skeleton?

(Long Pause)

Mom: Yes? I think so.