Respect Your Continent

The boys are learning a timeline of world history this year through Classical Conversations.
Alexander the Great, through some transmutation that only comes through the minds of
little kids, turned into a nickname for Eliot, but as Alexander the Chicken. It’s a game for
them: Eliot runs through the house, laughing, chasing his older siblings, as they yell, “Look
out! Here comes Alexander the Chicken!”

That’s the backdrop for a recent incident. Addie was parading around, talking about
Alexander the Chicken, just like her older brothers. But Theo pulled a 180 on her. He
sternly corrected her, “You need to show some respect for your continent.”

“Theo,” Mrs. Thumb Up said somewhat puzzled. “Alexander the Great’s not from North
America.”

“I know,” Theo replied. “He’s from Europe, but we are Europeans.”  Clearly Theo has not forgotten the land of his birth.

Of course, most of our English friends are now puzzled too, since they don’t often think of
themselves as being part of Europe. :)