I have teen daughters. As I’ve mentioned, one has graduated and one is a junior in high school. It’s fairly easy to calculate that their ages are eighteen and sixteen.

Herman has three boys. The oldest is thirty, the middle is fifteen, and the youngest is six. The oldest is a grown man, the teen spends much of his time with his friends, and the youngest spends a lot of time with Herman and me.

This past Saturday, Herman had errands to run a couple of hours away. I told him to leave Diego (the youngest) with me to make it easier. I found that meant easier for Herman. I forgot that six year olds talk a lot. A lot. Do you know what six-year-old boys like to talk about? Minecraft. Do you know how long they like to talk about Minecraft? Neither do I. He hasn’t stopped yet.

As we walked my dog, Annie, we discussed Minecraft. As I cleaned my house we talked about Minecraft. While we did grocery shopping we rehashed Minecraft. Driving to and from the store? Strategized Minecraft. As we took care of groceries he mentally redesigned and improved Minecraft. Cleaning dog poo from the front yard? He theorized on the video game he will invent some day, based on Minecraft.

For a multitude of hours, my portion of our conversation was brief, but it obviously suited his purpose, and that purpose was to allow him to continue his one-track conversation, as six year olds are wont to do:

Diego: Julie, did you know that in Minecraft you can Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft and Minecraft?

Julie: Can you?

Diego: Yeah. Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft.

Julie: Huh. How about that?

Diego: Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft.

Julie: Yeah?

Diego: Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft.

Julie: Really?

Diego: Yes and Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft Minecraft.

Julie: *sigh* And then what?

Diego: More Minecraft.

The saving grace of the day was Diego decided he wanted to go out to play and Annie needed to go outside. As I put Annie on her lead and turned to go back in the house, Diego started to tell Annie what he was going to build in Minecraft.

I swear I heard Annie sigh. I didn’t turn to meet her eye—I just kept walking.