I’m heading home from the grocery store with Julianna (she’s 12) when we cross Chandler Blvd.
J: Every time we cross that street, I think of Heathers, The Musical. I saw some of the songs on You Tube.
Me: Really? I think of Chandler from Friends. You see, there was a TV show…
J: Dad stop. I hate when you take over the conversation.
Me: Bygones. (from Ally McBeal)…
J: Hrmmm! Stop! There’s a musical called Heathers. The most popular girl was named Heather Chandler. There were other girls named Heather, too. They were all popular. And, they were all kinda mean.
Me: Oh, yeah. Wasn’t there some movie?
J: Yeah, there was a really old movie from the 1900s or something.
Me: I vaguely remember the 1900s. I think it’s from the 1980s.
J: I saw part of that movie on You Tube. It did not look good.
Me: Well, a 10th generation VHS dub that gets digitized countless times is going to look bad. (Daddysplaining: It’s what I do.)
J: Dad! No! Stop!… It’s because cameras were new back then.
Me: In the ’80s? The 1880s or the 1980s? I think they knew about cameras in the 1980s.
J: I’m talking about color movie cameras. They didn’t understand how it worked, just yet. So, the movies looked bad. Don’t you remember that far back?
Me: Maybe not. It was a long, long time ago.
[pause]
J: I don’t think I’m a Heather.
Me: No, Honey. You’re not.
J: Daaad! Stop! Now I want to be one!
Me: No you don’t. Because, you’re not one. And, you know it.
J: Hrrmmmmmmmmm!