II
"Why does the moon shine, daddy?"
"Because it doesn't know any better."
"No, daddy. Thats not what teacher said."
"Well, what did 'teacher' say?"
"She said that the moon shines cause the sun shines. She said that the light from the sun travels all the way around the world just to reach the moon!"
"Your teacher is a damn liar."
"..Uh.."
"Did your teacher tell you why the sun shines?"
"No..."
"And do you want daddy to tell you?"
"Please!"
"Alright, then. The sun shines because it doesn't know any better. The sun shines because its made up of gases that are reacting with each other in such a way that they give off heat, which is produced as light. The sun shines because science says it doesn't have any other choice."
"...you mean it doesn't shine for the moon? Teacher said it shines for the moon because it loves the moon.."
"Well, like I told you: your teacher is a damn liar."
"No. No, she isn't."
"Are you arguing with me?"
"No, daddy..."
"Well, let me tell you a thing or two I've learned about love. Love ain't no good reason to do nothing. Not by itself. You don't never do nothing for just love, you hear me? You do it because it will help you. You do it because it will make you feel good, but you don't never do nothing for just love."
"But Mommy used to say..."
"Your mother didn't know her head from a hole in the ground. She was a damned fool just like your teacher. There's no place in the world for just love. No place at all. You learn your science, you learn your math, but you forget about love. All love will do is make you shine like that damned stupid sun and you know what happens when you shine too long? Science catches up with you and you run out of gas and one day you sputter and spit and you just can't manage to shine anymore. Thats what happens."
"But you said the sun didn't have a choice.."
"HE DIDN'T. He didn't. But you do, sweetheart. You don't have to shine for nobody, not ever. You can go your whole life and you can be perfectly happy just working and buying and thinking and not ever having to love no one at all and you can just be happy, honey. You can just be happy.."
"Daddy...?"
"Yes?"
"I must not be very smart.."
"Why do you say that?"
"Well... I can't think of nothin' worth working for but love, nothin' worth buying if it ain't for someone I love. Daddy, I can't think of nothin' thats really all that worth thinkin' about but love. And you know what else? I think the sun does have a choice. And I think he makes the right one every night daddy. I think if he didn't go on shining all through the night, even when he probably wants to be getting to sleep... I think if he didn't do that he wouldn't be any kind of sun at all. Maybe science will catch up with him and he will burn out. But daddy... I don't think its any kind of life at all if you don't got someone, or something to shine for. And I think that sun would burn out a whole lot faster if he wasn't shining for that moon every night daddy. Thats what I think."
"Because it doesn't know any better."
"No, daddy. Thats not what teacher said."
"Well, what did 'teacher' say?"
"She said that the moon shines cause the sun shines. She said that the light from the sun travels all the way around the world just to reach the moon!"
"Your teacher is a damn liar."
"..Uh.."
"Did your teacher tell you why the sun shines?"
"No..."
"And do you want daddy to tell you?"
"Please!"
"Alright, then. The sun shines because it doesn't know any better. The sun shines because its made up of gases that are reacting with each other in such a way that they give off heat, which is produced as light. The sun shines because science says it doesn't have any other choice."
"...you mean it doesn't shine for the moon? Teacher said it shines for the moon because it loves the moon.."
"Well, like I told you: your teacher is a damn liar."
"No. No, she isn't."
"Are you arguing with me?"
"No, daddy..."
"Well, let me tell you a thing or two I've learned about love. Love ain't no good reason to do nothing. Not by itself. You don't never do nothing for just love, you hear me? You do it because it will help you. You do it because it will make you feel good, but you don't never do nothing for just love."
"But Mommy used to say..."
"Your mother didn't know her head from a hole in the ground. She was a damned fool just like your teacher. There's no place in the world for just love. No place at all. You learn your science, you learn your math, but you forget about love. All love will do is make you shine like that damned stupid sun and you know what happens when you shine too long? Science catches up with you and you run out of gas and one day you sputter and spit and you just can't manage to shine anymore. Thats what happens."
"But you said the sun didn't have a choice.."
"HE DIDN'T. He didn't. But you do, sweetheart. You don't have to shine for nobody, not ever. You can go your whole life and you can be perfectly happy just working and buying and thinking and not ever having to love no one at all and you can just be happy, honey. You can just be happy.."
"Daddy...?"
"Yes?"
"I must not be very smart.."
"Why do you say that?"
"Well... I can't think of nothin' worth working for but love, nothin' worth buying if it ain't for someone I love. Daddy, I can't think of nothin' thats really all that worth thinkin' about but love. And you know what else? I think the sun does have a choice. And I think he makes the right one every night daddy. I think if he didn't go on shining all through the night, even when he probably wants to be getting to sleep... I think if he didn't do that he wouldn't be any kind of sun at all. Maybe science will catch up with him and he will burn out. But daddy... I don't think its any kind of life at all if you don't got someone, or something to shine for. And I think that sun would burn out a whole lot faster if he wasn't shining for that moon every night daddy. Thats what I think."