My wife told our youngest this morning that we’re planning on visiting Colonial Williamsburg on our vacation this summer.

“Huh,” he said with a shrug. “Okay.”

We explained that it was a historical recreation, that when you’re in Colonial Williamsburg, it’s just like you’ve gone back to the 1700’s.

“You mean it’s black and white?”

My wife and I looked at each other.

“No,” I said. “That’s just in the movies and pictures. The people are regular people.”

He looked confused. “But the buildings are black and white,” he said. “Cause they didn’t have all the colors back then.”

“No,” I said. “That’s just because they didn’t have color film back then.” I stopped myself as I realized that neither his camera nor our video camera use film. In fact, I don’t think anything uses film anymore. “Okay. Pictures and videos used to be taken on film, and that film. . .”

I trailed off. He was looking at me now in that skeptical way that 7 year-olds have.

“By taken,” I said. “I mean recorded. When they recorded – no, that sounds wrong.” Big sigh. “Old pictures used to be black and white. It wasn’t the buildings that were black and white. It was the pictures.”

He nodded, clearly just humoring me now. “Okay, Daddy.”

“It’ll be cool.” I said. “You’ll see.”

“Sure.”

Sigh.