Trucking

Have I mentioned Isaac's intense interest in trucks?

How on earth did he develop this interest? I know it isn't unusual for small (and not-so-small) boys to like trucks, but with Isaac it seemed to spring from nowhere. His first formal exposure to trucks came in late July when we read a book that had a picture of a toy truck -- I could tell he was interested because he kept pointing at it, and he immediately learned the word for it. Prior to that, he had never seen a toy truck, nor had I ever pointed out an actual truck. Why did this picture strike such a chord? How did he even know what it was? Is it genetically encoded?

We have since gone on to encourage his interest, however, so we've spoiled the blind purity of the genetic-encoding experiment. We always have books about vehicles borrowed from the library. His favorite toys are a truck and a bus (personally, I like it when the bus gives the truck a ride). We make a point of observing all the trucks the suburbs have to offer -- garbage trucks, mail trucks, UPS trucks, landscaping trucks, and so forth.

I sure wish he could tell me what he's thinking. He seems to enjoy trucks both in the abstract and in reality, which seems quite an intellectual leap. Does he make the connection between his little Playmobil truck and the huge delivery truck we stood watching in the Beverages & More parking lot? And why does he like them? He can't yet understand the attractions of speed, horsepower, and the lure of the open road. It's not just the noise and energy that he likes, either -- construction equipment, with all its earthmoving blades and scoops, interests him only when there are also wheels involved. In fact, although I think trucks are his favorite, he likes nearly anything with wheels big or small, which includes bicycles, strollers, and my grandmother's wheelchair.

So maybe it's wheels that he loves. What is it about wheels?