I spend a lot of time driving my involved kids from one destination to another. I love music, so the radio is always playing in the background no matter what vehicle I’m in. This week, one of the radio personalities talked about a new psychological finding for those who talk to themselves. My oldest son, who at the time was with me in the car, gave me one of those and-that-would-be-you gloating looks of his.

Sadly, he is not wrong. My kids walk in on me talking to myself all the time. I can’t seem to help myself. Most of the time, I don’t even realize I’m doing it—though it seems to be my preferred method for working out problems, big or small. I even do it when writing, which has been known to wake up my husband in the wee hours of the morning while I’m working. Whoops. Sorry, honey. I love you. 🙂

Then the radio announcer says the study shows people who talk to themselves are not crazy after all, but cognitive geniuses.

I punch my son in the shoulder. “See…this is why you should always listen to your mother.”

“I kind of have to,” he said, rubbing his arm, “you’re always talking.”

Okay, I guess my son deserves a nod for his perfectly timed burn, but I still found it exciting to be called a cognitive genius—if even for just a moment. In reality, I’m probably the exception to the “self-talker” study, since I’m the queen of misplacing things.