Thursday, March 22, 2007

Technophile




These, dear reader, are photographs of my cousin's grandson, Aidan.

Question:

Is he my first cousin, twice removed, my second cousin once removed or not a cousin at all?

Aidan is a very bright six year old. His Mother had to move him from one school to another to cope with his hyper-intelligence. Conversely, his sister has also moved, though to the same school as Aidan because of her dyslexia.

Aidan came to visit Mum and I during my stay in Bournemouth. He is obsessed with technology and longed to play with my iPod. Reminding me of myself at his age, he asked me if there were any Dusty Springfield songs on said player or, perhaps, some music to which he could show us the Foxtrot steps he'd been learning at dancing class.

Please, my love, also take note of the stuffed toy he's clutching. He's called Dab. Aidan's constant companion. I remember Pandy.

I find myself wondering what and who he'll grow up to be.

6 comments:

A Lewis said...

Ahh, the techno world of our young....and that's quite a smile he's sporting in the last shot....almost like he's seen something kind of yummy in the screen (not a video Ipod is it??). He's definitely a handsome boy. Again, I don't know if he's removed, 1st,2nd, or somewhere in between.

gab said...

i had that exact same cd storage unit!

Minge said...

He's a complete dear, Lewis.

Gab, where's the CD thingy now?

Kapitano said...

I've never understood what made a cousin first, second, or whatever. Someday I'll ask wikipedia.

In the meantime, I'm not sure we have a word in english for the offspring of the offspring of the offspring of the sibling of a parent.

But if I try to work it out...

If you have a parent, and the parent has a sibling, and that sibling has child, then that child is your cousin, and their parents are your aunt and uncle. Fair enough?

If that child grows up and has offspring of their own, then do you become the offspring's uncle? No, because because an uncle is the brother of the parent, whereas you are a cousin of the parent.

However, you are what we might dub the grandcousin - that is, the cousin of the parent.

And if your grandcousin has a child (Aidan), then you become his greatgrandcousin, and he becomes yours.

Mind you, I've got cousins 20 years younger than me, and they call me "uncle", so go figure.

All of which makes me wonder...how can you be a greatgrandanything at only 35?!

Kapitano said...

I looked it up. Aidan is actually your first cousin, twice removed.

Though I think greatgrandcousin sounds more intriguing.

Unknown said...

He's quite a cutie!! I wanted to name my son Aidan, but Ray wouldn't go for it so he became Conor.