Rike Talk

This past summer, Alden invented the concept of a "rike" which is a run (for me) and a bike ride (for him) that we go on together. This morning was a crisp, sunny, autumn day, so we set out on a rike for the first time in a while. We talked about a lot of things, and at one point got to discussing the new Bird scooters that have appeared in Ann Arbor, which you can rent using an app on your phone. Alden was curious how much it costs to use them. After thinking about that for a bit, he said, "You know mom, the company might think they could make the most money by charging a lot for the Bird, but actually, if they lowered the cost, more people might use them, and so even though it cost less per ride, the company would make more money; and it would be great for the people who want to use them." I was pretty impressed with this, so helped him think about it some more by applying it to the Volvos that each of his grandmas owns and the Honda that we own. He saw right away that Hondas are cheaper but more common. So then he was pretty interested, and we talked some more. He eventually said it would be smart for a company to charge the most that they could, while still making sure that lots of people bought their product; but then he interrupted himself to point out that there are two additional things that would be relevant -- the cost of paying the employees and the cost of advertising. So then we talked about how companies often make their products in developing countries where they can pay people a lot less. By then we were back at home, so we looked through the house and found "Made in China" and "Made in Vietnam" notes on just about everything (especially in the shoe bin). We only talked about that for a few minutes before Alden said, "Mom, I don't want to talk about that part anymore. It's too upsetting. When I grow up, I'm going to start a company and have the factory in another country and make it awesome for all the employees." So instead of talking more, we went to a coffee shop and wrote letters and had muffins and hot chocolate. Sometimes I just love this kid more than I can put into words.