My Apple Did Not Fall Far From My Tree

Dora The Explorer:



That's for those of you who may not know or remember our little Hispanic friend from television on Nick Jr. She is a little cartoon girl, traveling with a monkey "Boots", a map that sings, a backpack with a hyper-smile and googley eyeballs and is perpetually being followed by a creepy looking fox named "Sniper" who hides in trees and bushes, etc., trying to steal from her. The map sings to her about where to go and she has to clear a bunch of obstacles along her way. She is always alone and is more than likely about five years old. When she arrives at her destination, she sings a lot, in both English and Spanish, and we never really find out why she's so happy about where she has found herself.

For her composition classes, my 13 year old daughter, Sasha, chose to write her theory on Dora and read it in front of the class:

"Dora The Explorer's story: At age five, Dora's parents were both drug dealers. They were illegal immigrants in the USA. Her parents got caught and deported, so she runs by herself to deliver the drugs for them with the help of Boots and Backpack and the Drug Map. She imagines her inanimate friends talk to her cuz she is extremely wasted, from smoking her own stash. Swiper, the fox, is an undercover cop trying to confiscate the drugs and the map and arrest Dora to return her to Mexico to stand trial with her parents."

Okay. Did I hear a phone ring? Why, yes I did. "Hello, Ms. [Eckstein Middle School teacher]. Yes, this is Sasha's mom. She what? Well, heh, heh, wow, isn't she just a creative kid? I'm sorry, what's that? Oh my, well, that's unfortunate timing, isn't it? No, I doubt that she knew the presentation of her story was going to be on the same day as the Seattle Police's school assembly on drug and alcohol abuse. Yes, well, 7th graders will laugh at just about anything, won't they? No? You don't think so?..."

You're catching the drift, right?

I've often wondered whether I've been saving for college or rehab - both of her parents being in recovery make which shore she will wash up on a bit of a mystery. Either way...at least she's got a head start with a sense of humor...?


Today I'm grateful to have already been there and done that.