As I drove my daughter to her theater class, she asked me why sometimes people live in their cars.

We had watched The Pursuit of Happiness with Will Smith the night before, which I thought was just spiffy. Anyway….

I saw my chance to "talk" about a group of sensitive subjects: homelessness; the vulnerability of our lives and how quickly things can change; fortitude to move through difficult times; and goodness knows what other issues I began weaving into a piece of what I was sure was going to be brilliant parenting.

I paused, and there was a bit of silence. Then my daughter asked:

What about those cars with refridgerators and stoves and bathrooms in them?

Oh, I said. RVs?

Yeah, she said. Do people drive around in them?

Yes. Some people like to see a lot of places so they drive around in these cars that are like miniature homes.

I continued driving the windy road and realized that sometimes I just talk too much. The best answer comes by listening in the first place.