Rocketships, Asteroid Belts, Armageddon And Beyond!

Occasionally, I get a little tongue-tied; rarely though, rendered speechless.  However, after a conversation with Scribe Junior aka  Budding Philosopher, aka Mini-Yoda, I'm often left floundering.  Just like the fish.  

One sunny morning, not so long ago, SJ was sitting at the breakfast table, drawing furiously, he looked up briefly:
SJ:  Mummy, is the world really going to end one day?
Me:  Um, well, thats a difficult question...
SJ:  Mummy, because Daniel says it will, Daniel says there's an Arr-maa-gedd-don!  He says the whole world is going to explode!!  IS THERE AN ARR-MAA-GEDDDON?
Me:  *softly curses Daniel, inhales deeply*   Well, some people believe there is.  Did you go to church today at school?
SJ:  *ignores my question, goes back to drawing massive explosions of red and green on his paper*

24 hours later, SJ is back at the table:
SJ:  Mummy
Me:  Yes?
SJ:  The correct answer to my question was 'maybe.'
Me: Sorry?
SJ:  Shouldn't we say, that, maybe, the world will end but we just don't know?
Me:  *wonders if SJ will sprout Yoda-like ears any-minute-soon*  UM... Yes, yes... you're right...


Several weeks later, I've recovered from his profound insight.  It's a normal morning in London, delightfully grey and drizzly.  Budding Philosopher is poring over a large book, the well-loved kind, numerous flaps, diagrams and maps, all dog-eared, all hanging out of its covers.

SJ:  Um... Mummy, can rocketships make it safely through the asteroid belt in the solar system?
Me:  *stops in tracks, baffled face*  Wha-aat did you say?
SJ:   *huffs, annunciates ever so slowly, for my benefit (obvs)*  CAN A ROCK-ET-SHIP make it through the AS-TE-ROID BELT IN THE SO-LAR SYS-TEM?
Me:  *wonders if this is a normal question from a 6 year old*
SJ:  Well, can they?
Me:  Ah... Well, it depends... yes... it depends... on the... size of the asteroids!  You know, on how large the asteroids are, if they can navigate through them.  *insert floundering face*  What book are you reading?
SJ:  My Space Book.  So, they can get back safely to Earth from the asteroid belt then?
Me: Yes.  If they're really careful.
SJ:  And, Mummy...
Me:  *hastily steps backwards, fumbling for the door*
SJ:  ...does the asteroid belt go out into space or, does it just keeping going around in a belt?
Me:  *grabs door handle, exhales*  What?
SJ: Does the asteroid belt go further out into the universe, or, does it stay in the belt?
Me:  *coughs*   Well, what does your book say?
SJ:  *runs finger down page*  Um....it says....
Me:  *exits room, runs down hallway*  WTF?!


A/N:  Isn't it great when to be reminded about the bigger things in life, though?  I thought so...  Today is SJ's 7th birthday, so I'm going to let him ask as many questions as he likes... and then, after bedtime, -I might just mix a few margaritas.