Are you older than the internet?

So, picture this...

I'm sitting with one of my students.  He's six.  It's a Saturday morning.  We're in a private lesson.  His focus has turned to the timpani set up behind him by the piano.  He explores the tuning pegs of the drum but he's noticing the bookshelf for the first time.  On the bookshelf he sees this...

He eyes the rat puppet but opts for the harp.  He plays the harp briefly and notices the big blue books.

He says, "What's that?"

That's a really big dictionary, kind of like an encyclopedia...kind of like Wikipedia.  It's called the Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians.  It's full of information about music and musicians.  It's what we used before the internet to find information. 

Those are older than the INTERNET?  he says with astonishment.

I nod thinking...oh my goodness...I loooove this conversation...something great is about to happen.

"Wow...that's old...," he says.   "Can we look at them?"

We look up "marimba" at his request.  "Oh yeah...I've seen those kind," and he dismisses the pictures and the book.

...I wait for the next great thought...I can feel it coming...

 

"Are you older than the internet?"

I nod...yes.

"huh..."

And our conversation is complete.