"Reflections of the Way Life Used to Be"...Times Have Changed - Please Quiz Me

Keri Wyatt Kent is the author of five books and a co-author or contributor to several others, and is currently working on two other books. When she's not busy traveling around the country to speak and lead retreats, she's writing. She's a regular contributor several magazines, including Today's Christian Woman, MomSense and Outreach magazine, as well as the several websites and blogs. She's a member of Willow Creek Community Church. She and her husband Scot have been married for 16 years and live with their son and daughter in Illinois. Learn more about her at www.keriwyattkent.com/

Please Quiz Me

"Mom, can you quiz me?"

            One of the joys of working from home is being able to be there when the kids get home from school. While I'm not there every single day (I travel for work as well), most afternoons at 2:45 I'm there to say, "How was your day?" Well, okay, some days my greeting is-"I'm up in the office, I'll be right down!"

             I hear about their days while the events are still fresh, I share a snack and a laugh with them. Some days, they want to chat, others, they want to run outside to play for a while, or relax in front of the television. 

            Often, once we connect, the three of us head to different corners of the house: I write, the kids retreat to their favorite study spots to tackle the pile of homework.

But sometimes, they'll ask for help. Knowing I am not the kind of mom who does homework for them, they don't ask that. But they will ask for my help in quizzing them for tests.

            So Tuesday, my eighth grader says, "Can you quiz me about beetles?"

            "For science?" I ask.

            "No, for music," she replies, looking at me like I'm odd.

            "Music?" I ask.

            "Yeah, we're studying The Beatles in music," she says. 

            Yes, that's right, Boomer friends. My 13-year-old had a quiz on John, Paul, Ringo and George. For several weeks. 

            The curriculum divided the Beatles' history into the early years, the middle years, and the late years. 

            What was the haircut inspired by the Beatles called? (the moptop)

            What was their first U.S. hit? (I Wanna Hold Your Hand)

            What are some of the musical innovations introduced by the Beatles? (use of seven chords in one song rather than the traditional three, use of a string quartet in the background, use of amplifier feedback as part of the song are just a few)

            Did you know that Paul McCartney got the music and lyrics for "Yesterday" in a dream, and sat down at the piano upon waking and played it? And that it went on to be covered 2500 times, a record for any pop song? 

            Did you know that during the first ten minutes the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan show, no crimes were committed anywhere in the US? (apparently because everyone was watching TV)

            My daughter wondered if I saw that show, in November of 1964. I was only a toddler at the time, so no, I didn't remember it. But the Beatles shaped the music of my youth-and their influence continues to shape the music my kids listen to. 

            I told my daughter "Yesterday" was a favorite slow dance song at school dances. "Really?" she said, not even trying to hide the eye-rolling.

            I'm not sure what my daughter will gain by memorizing the names of all the Beatles albums and the years they were released in the UK and the States (not an easy task, since they came up with such brilliant titles as "Introducing the Beatles!" followed within a year by "Meet the Beatles!"-or was it the other way around?) Either way, I'm glad I lived through the 60s and don't have to take tests on them.

http://www.beatles.com/