Sniff, Sniff

Going with the theory that you can laugh or cry at most things, I’ve decided to find humor in this little conversation I had with David a short time ago. We were talking about the next few days; what we need to buy for school next week and what he needs to pack.

Earlier in the summer, the school had issued a list – similar to the one we get each year. As we talked, it occurred to me that no one thought to discuss the issue of gas masks. Should he bring his gas mask to school where he dorms during the week? Clearly, if we have warning of an attack and the possibility of war, the schools will rush to send the children home. On the other hand, the government can’t afford to give the schools advance notification without tipping off our enemies and so we likely won’t know anything is happening until – well, it happens.

Realistically, that means there’s a decent chance David will be in school (or sleeping in the dorm), when news breaks that Israeli jets (or American jets for that matter), have attacked Iran’s nuclear sites. It also means that there’s a decent chance Iran will succeed in launching missiles at us in return. And if not them – certainly, our dear neighbors in the north (Hezbollah) and to the south-west (Gaza), will not hesitate to chime in with their own rockets.

So, half joking, I asked David what he thought – if he should take the gas mask or not.

“I’m not taking it,” David said. And then came up with – “we’ll just go sniff, sniff” – meaning, one kid will take a deep breath of air, and then share the gas mask with another.

Great – just what a mother needs to hear…