I chose not to watch the president’s speech to Congress and spent the time watching This Is Us and said goodbye to William instead.
Watched and thought about how many of my friends have said goodbye for real to their Williams and thought about how close I came to joining them.
Smiled at my good fortune and thought about the night I said goodbye to my paternal grandfather.
They told me that even though I set new records for speeding in a CRV it wouldn’t have mattered if I had flown because he was gone before he reached the emergency room.
The Stories We Don’t Tell
I can neither confirm nor deny telling him a story or two that night that few know.
It might be morbid to say dead men tell no tales but grandpa wouldn’t have cared I said it because it was me.
Anyhoo, the point isn’t to tell you about his role as my cheerleader or to mention he knew how to keep a secret, though both are true.
No, the point is I have been thinking about him and what he would say if he knew that next week his great-grandson will fly sans parents from LA to Dallas.
He’d laugh if I told him I was making the aforementioned great-grandson crazy by calling each day to tell him how excited I am about his coming.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but I miss the kids and Facetime just isn’t the same as in person.
So I am going to take son of mine and we’re going to enjoy the sort of adventure only fathers and sons can have.
That might even include a Purim carnival but he better not try to win a damn goldfish.
All of that assumes he hasn’t decided he is too cool for it all.
Stay Out Of My Way
Had a conversation a while back with that teenage boy I mentioned just above in which I had to remind him about who was the father and who was the son.
I can’t fault him for it because his grandfather will tell you without hesitation I never had trouble crossing the proverbial line.
Dad never had a problem letting me know when I did or making sure I found my way back.
Heck, I think once or twice his help might have consisted of showing me what it was like to fly, but that could be my imagination.
You know writers are sometimes prone to exaggeration.
Anyhoo, during one of those moments where my own child proved that Karma just might exist I realized the smartest thing for both of us was to end the conversation.
He refused to agree and I couldn’t decide whether it would be easier to strangle him or beat myself over the head with a baseball bat.
Teenagers can do that to you, just ask my dad.
****
A short time after that conversation another adult engaged me in a conversation that they probably regret.
That is because in the process of explaining to them why they should stay out of my way the fire that shot from my mouth burned off their eyelashes and eyebrows.
You might wonder why it didn’t burn off their hair as well and I’ll say that it was my intent to make them look extra silly so every time they looked in the mirror they would remember how dumb they were.
Music Break
- SOS- Abba
- Take A Chance On Me
- Hells Bells- AC/DC
- Visions Of Paradise- Mick Jagger
- Bulls On Parade-Rage Against The Machine
- Breathe -The Prodigy
- Ball & Chain- Social Distortion
- I Was Wrong- Social Distortion
Choices
There was blood in places there shouldn’t be which is always an easy way for me to measure my stress level.
Took a little bit of time to convince my intestines it was time to find our quiet center and unknot themselves but I got it done.
Closed my eyes, took some of those cleansing breaths that my wife was supposed to use during childbirth and told the body the mutiny was over.
Said to the stomach to stay out of my way and it gave me its version of the middle finger but eventually we worked things out.
Got a big day tomorrow so I am going to do something I never do and go to sleep by 10:30, or least try to.
****
It always comes down to the choices we made and the choices we make.
I know what I did, what I have done and what I am trying to do.
That is a good thing, an important thing and something meaningful.
I plan on talking to that boy of mine about it when he gets here and maybe a few other people.
In the interim you can find me wearing my black hat and playing hero or villain.
Did I mention I am a little excited. 😉
I’ve heard a lot of talk about that show recently. I’ve never seen it nor do I know anything about it. I might have to check it out.
It is pretty well done. You might like it.