Today, my first Saturday of the year in Huntington, I went with my floormates to the Ft. Wayne zoo. Reflecting upon the day, I am very glad that I went on the trip so that I could acquire this useful knowledge that I will be using in my adult life...that is, the future I'm not so looking forward to where I will probably be responsible for more persons than myself. Most of this came through some hearty discussion from the girls on my floor, as well as some careful observation of strangers at the zoo.

I'll never live in Amish country. It's too much to put your kids through. As we walked toward the entrance of the zoo, we found ourselves surrounded by a see of navy, homemade cotton clothing: women in long, pioneer-style dresses with bonnets and men with long bowl cuts and suspenders pants. Seeing the group reminded me of my own childhood experience with Amish and Mennonite groups. The first time was when I lived in southeastern Indiana. I couldn't have been more than five years old and I was at the grocery with my mother. As we turned the aisle we came upon a group of Amish women. Perplexed, I tugged on my mother's arm and asked her in my loud, unaware-that-strangers-have-ears way, where the pioneer people came from Its a story my mother has told numerous times to friends and family, and I never want my kids to have a story like that tacked on to their legacy.

I am not letting my children out of the house until they are ten years old. When you bring children to a public place, whether it is designed for children to enjoy or not, they act like complete and utter brats. If kids knew better, they would never ask their parents to go anywhere in public. When my kids ask, I'm going to sit them down and explain to them, "If we do go, one of two things is most likely to happen. One, you are going to see something you want me to buy for you, and when I say no you will cry for the rest of the trip and not enjoy yourself. Two, you'll do something that I've asked you repeatedly not to do and I'll have to spank you in front of a lot of people and you will not enjoy yourself. Now, do you still want to go?" I know that this is impractical and useless planning. I will probably be one of the idiotic parents who toted their two year-olds around the zoo so they won't be able to remember or learn anything. But now, it feels good to be idealist about things, because as I get older, its a rite of passage to throw all the ideals away.

I also learned a lot about wildlife I have never experienced before. But somehow, I think these two lessons are going to stick with me a lot longer than facts about orangutan and sea lions.