One of These Things Is Not Like the Other

When Six-of-Six was a baby, we watched Sesame Street together. We played the games, acted the skits.

We especially liked the chef with the pies. This is old-old Sesame Street. The chef stands at the top of a flight of stairs. "12 Cream Pies!" he announces and falls down the stairs.

At one corner of our living room was a flight of three steps. At the top of the steps was a landing. At Six-of-Six's instruction, I would stand there. He would name a number. "Seven cream pies!" I would announce in my tres chic French accent, then tumble down the stairs.

"Your turn!" I'd say.

I swear I got twice as many turns as he did. Sweet young boys are tyrants. Big sisters are pushovers. For the child, there is something hilarious and sneakily satisfying about ordering the older sister to fall down the stairs. We loved it all--him bossing me, me taking his orders, falling and laughing in a welter of imaginary cream pies.

.... : )

Ahem. Let us move on to more serious things.

One of the games oft-played on Sesame Street is One of These Things Is Not Like the Other. You look at two items or pictures. You identify the differences. Here Bob is wearing a hat; there Cookie Monster has crumbs in his hair.

It's a standard exercise to teach observation skills. We did it on worksheets when I was in preschool. Mildly interesting. Easy. Very Important to develop Critical Thinking Skills, which America's Young People need in order to Compete in the Global Economy.

These kinds of games lead to other amusements: Six Degrees of Separation. Men Are from Mars, Women from Venus. Hannity and Colmes.

Children's games with a grown-up veneer.

What if we take this game to the next level? Move beyond observation to discernment? Teach ourselves something that would allow us to live well in the global village?

Imagine this: One of These Things Is Just Like the Other.

Six Degrees of Connection. Interplanetary Tango. Frog and Toad Together.