Imperial wealth in the eyes of a child.

Today, we watched Dan Cruickshank’s Adventures in Architecture. This episode concerned, among other structures, The Catherine Palace, the Rococo summer palace of the Russian Tsars.

Tiarnan, five, watched as the astonishing interiors of this unbelievably ornate palace paraded across the TV screen. Gold and amber, and every possible variation on the word “opulent”, assailed our eyes. Not that alone, but the sheer vastness of the place, was astonishing, with one corridor being 325 metres long, before the Empress could be reached. Throughout it all, Tiarnan watched in silence. Finally, however, he spoke up.

”It is no good to live there.”, he began, quietly, with an authority out of proportion to his size.

All eyes turned to him for explanation.

“It is not a good place to play.”, he elaborated, his eyes flicking to the screen where the story of splendour continued to unfold. “Too much glass.” He looked utterly unimpressed with the wealth on display. Indeed, he seemed to think it silly: after all, who would build a house that couldn’t be played in?

“Should Daddy rent that house, to live in?”

He looked across at me, his eyes growing all very serious and shook his head, slowly, from side to side.

He had no words, but his expression was enough.

Even when given the option to live in such a palace, Tiarnan would choose not to.

At that point, Fintan piped up: “Choose somewhere else, Daddy. Not there.”

So it was not just Tiarnan who thought The Catherine Palace an inappropriate place to live – even Fintan thought so too.

This moves me to reflect: I wonder what little Tsars thought of growing up in such surroundings? Did they find them impractical, too? Or were they too busy being alone, in a very fundamental way, to care about where they lived?

It is lucky my kids don’t feel the need to live in a several hundred metre long palace. In fact, they tell me they rather like condominiums...a much more affordable accommodation.

It is funny to see my kids’ response to Imperial wealth. It left them rather unimpressed. This would have surprised the Empress Elizabeth – for her palace was expressly designed to awe and impress with her divine status. Well, in the case of my children, at least, she failed. It left them wondering at the silly impracticalities of it all.

Do my kids see more truly what matters, than some adults do? I would think most adults would be awed by The Catherine Palace and by the very thought that it was once someone’s home. Yet, if my children are any guide, kids see it very differently. They see it as a place barren of any fun...a place that cannot be played in. In a way, I think my kids see something adults miss. All that majestic wealth might impress some...but does it bring personal joy? Fintan and Tiarnan certainly thought not. What do you think?

Posted by Valentine Cawley

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The most important people in the world.

Ainan, 10, is a boy with his own particular world view. It is a view formed, partially, out of his naturally unique perspective on it.

A couple of days ago, I was talking to him about a particular newspaper that shall remain nameless, lest they be offended.

I mentioned: "A typical reader of this newspaper is a multimillionaire."

He looked distinctly unimpressed, as if the term meant nothing to him at all.

"But they are not important.", he observed, as if I had spoken of something very trivial indeed.

"They have influence...", I pointed out.

"Yes, they have influence", he conceded it and signalled that the concession meant nothing, "but they use that influence to make things better for themselves - so they are not important."

Ah. He saw the rich as selfish and self-interested, and not as benevolent nurturers of society. Of course, of the two images, the first is much truer to the world...

"Who is important then?", I enquired without provocative challenge.

He looked up at me, then, his eyes all serious, perhaps to teach his father a little about the world, as he saw it.

"Presidents...", he began, a choice of person which surprised me. Perhaps I let my surprise show a little, for he continued, a little more emphatically, "Who bring in good laws."

So, Ainan thought it important to improve society for all, it seemed. This is a clue, to my mind, for what he, himself, might choose to do: something which might better the many, over the few.

"Who else?"

The word was not long in coming: "Researchers...", he declared, as if nothing could be more obvious, "Scientists", he clarified, for there are many types of researcher in the world.

So, he saw two types of people as important: those who created a better world, in which to live - and those who created something for the world (which may have the same effect). So, what he values in people, is that they should be seeking to create a better world.

I find this exchange hopeful for how Ainan might choose to live his life. I feel, now, on hearing this, that he will choose something with a postive effect on the world. I think he will deliberately seek out work and projects that change things for the better. At least, that is the underlying philosophy that he is now espousing.

Will Ainan one day be a President, too? Will that be one way he seeks to change the world for the better? If so, of which country would he be President? By birth, he can seek the citizenship of three countries...so he has choices, in that department.

Perhaps Ainan will become what Einstein chose not to be: a scientist who becomes a political figure in middle and old age. Perhaps he will contribute both creatively to the world, and to society, too. I only wonder this because of the two types of people that he has identified as important: the scientist and the political leader - will he one day be both?

We shall see. In the meantime, it is heartening that Ainan is approaching the world with a strong set of internal values about what is important and what is not; who is worthy and who isn't.

I find myself agreeing with him - and that can't be a bad thing. It must be remembered, of course, that I have never discussed this before with him and the views he has expressed are his own and his own alone. I would never distort his expressed self or interpose myself between him and the world: I want him to show himself as he is, truly and clearly - for only then can he fully become, in the world, what he should be.

I look forward to the day that Ainan becomes what he is destined, by inner forces, to be. I have to wonder, though, quite what that will be, since his values embody more than one choice. For now, however, he is a scientist and becoming more so everyday. I wait, in anticipatory patience.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 6 and Tiarnan, 4, this month, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.htmlI also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

You can get my blog on your Kindle, for easy reading, wherever you are, by going to: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Knew-Too-Much/dp/B0042P5LEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284603792&sr=8-1

Please let all your fellow Kindlers know about my blog availability - and if you know my blog well enough, please be so kind as to write a thoughtful review of what you like about it. Thanks.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at: http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/

Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/

Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)