How Long Is a Piece of String?

I was told that I was a curious child. I asked a lot of questions, such as how long before we got to wherever we were traveling? How long before I can quit doing my homework before going out to play? How long is it before my birthday? I’m sure I was a nuisance. My father always had an answer that frustrated and puzzled me for a long time. His answer was a question, “Son, how long is a piece of string?” I was not pleased when my dad answers my questions with his question. Besides, Dad’s question seemed like a non-answer. Finally, I figured out the answer to Dad’s question. A piece of string is as long as it needs to be for whatever purpose a piece of string was needed or until you ran out of string. Now, that makes sense. I also quit asking my dad a lot of questions about “How long until _____? Because I knew the answer. Today when someone asks me a question, such as, “Rick, how long until you retire?” I answer with a question, “Well, how long is a piece of string?” and I get some unusual facial expressions.