The Age of Why?

Why? Who knew it was such a versatile word? It can be used as a follow up to almost any statement. For instance:
–What's that on the floor?
– A piece of dirt.
–Why?
Why? – WHY? – is there dirt on your floor? It's not a bad question. But then you give a legitimate answer such as:
- It fell off somebody's shoe.
. . . .and the response is:
–But, why?
The other day we were driving to the grocery store after I picked the kids up from school and an afternoon thunderstorm was swirling in. I could see the long bolts of lightening striking about five miles away and the almost black skyline seemed to be located directly over the grocery store ahead. The radio was screeching the warning tones of imminent severe weather and, while I really needed a few things, the mental image of carting two kids and five bags of groceries through the parking lot in torrential rain and nickle size hail was enough to throw me into a u-turn.
Where we going? I want to go to the store!
We're going home Sawyer. It's about to storm.
Why?
Because we don't want to get wet.
Why?
Because it's too much for Mommy to deal with in the rain.
Why?
Because there's going to be big thunder and lightening outside and I want to be at home when that happens.
Why?
Because I've done my time. I've raced down mountaintops in the middle of lightening storms and crouched on my insulated sleeping pad in open fields covering my ears as the lightening cracked and thunder roared simultaneously. I've woken up in my tent in the middle of the night with water pouring through the seams onto everything I own. And, dammit, I own a house and a car to take me there and I don't HAVE to carry 70 pounds of kids and groceries through the rain if I don't want to.
But, whyyyy, Mommy?.
BECAUSE I SAID SO! THAT'S WHY!