If I was in charge of the world...

The other day I was chatting with the kids in the car on the way home from school. Sammy was complaining about something (I can't remember exactly what right now) and so I said, "Wouldn't it be great if YOU were in charge of everything?" She didn't immediately respond, so I prompted her by asking, "If you were in charge of the whole world, what would you make the rules be?" Her response was sweet (see #3) and timely (see #1 & #2) since she had just finished standardized tests at school that week.

If Sammy was in charge of the world...
1. No tests.
2. No NWEA tests.
3. No one would boss mommy around.
4. No making dogs stay in their pens. They could sleep in your bed or outside.
5. You can't boss kids around.
6. Everyone could be super heroes.

Sammy's list of how she would rule the world gave such insights into her personality and what is important to her at this stage in her life. Hearing her responses made me curious about how the rest of the family would answer the same question.

If Jonathan was in charge of the world...
1. No tests.
2. School would be shorter.
3. You can read whatever you want.
4. You can read whenever you want.
5. No banned books.
6. I would own a BIG library.
7. No writing prompts.

If Mike was in charge of the world...
(Are you ready for this?!?)
His answer: "I would create three worlds. (grinning) One for stupid people. One for everybody else. And one for me. And people can only visit me when I say so. And they have to do anything I want and leave when I say so." Sammy was concerned. She asked, "But your family would be allowed to visit?" "Only on certain days," he replied, laughing.

NOTE: Getting Mike to answer this question at all was like pulling teeth. I actually expected his first response to be that no one would ever have to answer silly questions like this. When he said he would create a world for stupid people, I laughed so hard I spit food all over the place! He has a unique sense of humor that is understood, accepted, and appreciated by members of our immediate family.

And finally.......

If I was in charge of the world...
1. Teachers would be paid more.
2. Humor would infiltrate all aspects of our lives.
3. Gas prices would go back down.
4. Families would really be together forever (despite the stupid things we say and do sometimes).
5. Friends would live closer to each other.
6. Houses would clean themselves regularly.
7. Dinner would arrive at your doorstep fully cooked and ready to serve 15 minutes before you are ready to eat. (And no one would complain about what is being served!)
8. I would have my own lane on every road.
9. Speed limits would be optional.
10. No calories in sweets. (or any other food for that matter)
11. No whining - kids or adults or students or customers or coworkers included.
12. Clothes would automatically fit right and look fabulous!
13. There would always be perfect lighting for taking photographs.
14. Kids would be internally motivated to learn.
15. There would be no grades or report cards.
16. Kids would have a pause button (for days when I am too tired to keep up), a mute button (for when I have a headache or don't want to hear the whining - see #11), a rewind button (to return to those precious moments I let slip past me sometimes), and a fast forward button (for those moments I wish I didn't have to face - teething, potty training, battles for independence, puberty, teenage years, and the inevitable mistakes I wish I could help them avoid).
17. People would understand that a waitress only gets paid $2.13 per hour!
18. Exercise would be more fun than eating.
19. People would never misunderstand your comments or be offended.
20. And then, of course, on a more serious/mature note: world peace, no more hunger, no more abuse, increased awareness of our earth and how we affect it, and more philanthropic acts by all.

So, what would you do if you were in charge of the world?