Driving Along in My Automobile....

Some of the best conversations that I have with my boys happen when I am driving them to, or bring them home from, school. When they were little the car had the magic ability to get them to sleep. Now that they are older the magic has become the loosening of their lips. Airborne in particular shares information at in a staccato ad lib form that sometimes is almost impossible to keep up with. Imagine Dennis Miller style references with odd scientific facts and verbatim dialog from Myth busters.

The other day Airborne says to me " Mom do you know what the hardest Metal is?"



Me " Titanium?"
Airborne  "Nope its Tungsten. Tungsten is the hardest metal and it also has the highest melting point, so they use it in light bulbs."
Me " I thought they used carbon in light bulbs?"
Airborne "My teacher says its Tungsten."
Me "Well I am sure that Mrs Brookman wouldn't lie."
Airborne "I am hungry what do we have to eat when we get home?" And just like that we are on to a new subject. But now I am curious. So I go to Bing  to look up Tungsten. Because until that moment in the car I had never heard of Tungsten. Of course I didn't know that octopuses smell thought their eyeballs until one car trip when Airborne was sharing. Sure enough Tungsten is the hardest metal and they do use it in light bulb filaments. Silly me I know that Airborne is probably the smartest person I know. He is 10 with the knowledge of most college students at MIT. It is crazy how he soaks up information.

What he didn't tell me, and that I found infinitely more interesting, is that they make jewelry from Tungsten. Jewelry I can get into. I was surprised that there was a metal used in jewelry that I didn't know about. But it makes sense that they would use tungsten carbide to make jewelry. Tungsten Carbide rings are stronger than gold rings and will last a lifetime just like marriage should. I remember when Agent Daddy  and I got married that the pastor said the rings symbolized the unending nature of marriage. And the gold was precious and strong just as marriage should be. After about 15 years the gold had worn away until the band broke from my constant wearing of my wedding ring. Agent Daddy had to get my rings redone with more gold. So I am good for another 15 years. If only we had known about Tungsten.