As we're happily driving along in the car today, Gavin asks his unsuspecting mother, "Mom, what is the greatest unit of distance measurement you know...besides a light year?"
HUH?!
My first thought was I hope I can make my answer sound half-way as intelligent as the question. But I'd already ruined that with the gigantic question mark of puzzlement etched into my face and the ever intelligent "huh?" response. In order to save face, I fall back on my tried and true method of asking him a question in return, "Do you know the answer to this already?"
"Yes."
"Then why on earth are you asking me?!"
"Because I just wanted to see if you knew it?"
"I think it's obvious to all of us that I have zero clue about where this is going. Could you be so kind to tell your mother what unit of measurement is farther than a light year?"
"It's a parsec."
"How did you know that? Are you just making this up?"
"No. I learned it last year in science class. And then in Episode II of Star Wars, Padme and Anakin are in a Hyperjet about to go to another galaxy and they're talking about how long it will take them to get there and they say 'it should only take a few parsecs'. So that's how I know."
Well there you have it. If it's in Star Wars it's got to be true.
