Susan Senator

Benji, my youngest, has his winter concert tonight. (Yes, I said “winter concert,” not “Christmas concert.” Our town is so completely hogwild into “diversity,” God bless them, that the kids always learn a whole mixture of “seasonal” tunes: something from Asia, for the Chinese New Year that’s coming in January, something for Kwanzaa, something for Chanukah, and even something for Christmas.)

At his kindergarten concert two years ago, Ben wore a tie:

At last year’s concert, Ben wore a tie, a real one that time. But for the entire concert, he played with the tie. It went up, it went to the side, it went all around. It is amazing how many ways a six-year-old can play with a tie while standing in the front row at a concert, principal looking on and parents frowning.

I asked Ben if he would like to wear his tie this year.

In true Ben style, he said, “No, that tie distracts me.”