the trouble with being human

Juma: Mom, I don't want to be a person. I don't like being a person.

Sarah: What? What do you mean, honey?

Juma: getting visibly upset I just don't like being a person.

Sarah: Why? What's wrong with being a person?

Juma: I don't know.

Sarah: wondering if he has started to grasp his mortality Well, what are some of the things that makes being a person bad?

Juma: almost in tears I don't know.

Sarah: What are some of the things that are good about being a person?

Juma: I don't know.

Sarah: What would you want to be instead of a person?

Juma: I don't know.

a few minutes later

Juma: I just want to be a police dog.

Sarah: A police dog? Really? How come?

Juma: I don't know.

Sarah: You know, police dogs only live to be about 15. People live to be 70, 80, 90...

Juma: Hmph. I just want to be police dog.

Sarah: confused Okay.

after a couple minutes

Juma: worried Even police can go to jail, right?

Sarah: Yes, they can. If they do something bad. Is that what you are worried about being a person? People can go to jail and animals don't?

Juma: Yes.

Sarah: Oh, honey, you don't need to worry about going to jail. First of all, they don't put kids in jail. Second, I don't think you'll even do any of the things against the law that are bad enough for you to go to jail.

Juma: Like what?

Sarah: Stealing stuff, breaking into somebody's house and taking their stuff, stealing a car, shooting someone, beating someone up really bad...Stuff like that. Doing drugs that are against the law. Do you plan on doing any of that?

Juma: feeling better No. What about crashing a car?

Sarah: No, that's not something to put you in jail.

Juma: Okay.

The conversation went on, according to his questioning, to discuss illegal drugs, including some of their names--crack, heroin, cocaine, ecstasy--and what they look like. Juma was determined to avoid crack, for example, but was worried he might accidentally buy some in the store pharmacy. I assured him that wouldn't even happen. "So, if I see it, it will just say it, right? It'll say, 'Crack' on the thing, right?" His innocence made my smile. I explained that, no, these kinds of drugs are not labeled, but that he didn't need to worry about it now. I promised that when he's older, I'd show him some pictures and explain more (information I have through school).

After that, he seemed to feel okay about being human again.