Bless the Little Children
My Dad, after he retired, had a number of interests, including taking more of a role in cooking and grocery shopping. He lived in a house in a distant suburb of San Antonio. Mom is the one who insisted on Dad retiring from the USAF after 23 years, in the area, partly because of the cluster of military bases (e.g., Lackland, Ft. Sam Houston, Randolph) and related medical facilities (Dad had bad hearing and other work-related issues. ) Dad was not one for sitting around the house all day; a trip to the nearby base exchange (where Mom used to work) and the commissary was almost always on the agenda my visits home. He almost never liked my haircut so usually it included a trip to the NCO barber shop (not that he ever paid, of course).I had never seen my Dad around other kids. I remember what he went overseas eventually to Thailand during the Vietnam War (my eighth grade), we had sent some toys, clothes, and other items for him to distribute in the local economy. He had also had my folks' wedding picture painted (it's still a little odd seeing the folks painted with Asian facial features.)
The commissary operates "at cost"(plus a minor surcharge to cover building funds) and tends to be very price-competitive when it comes to meat, cheeses and name brands. You are expected to tip otherwise unpaid baggers (I think the minimum age is 16; I never worked there, but I would only have been eligible my last semester in high school).
A long build-up to a simple little observation. My Dad had slowed down in this one aisle; I wasn't sure what was going on until I notice maybe an 18-month-old little dude seated in a cart just ahead. And my Dad caught his attention and was playing with him, trying to provoke a response (you know, peek-a-boo and other facial expressions). I could tell he was getting a kick out of it. Maybe I had picked it up from him back in my own childhood.
I had gotten to know a number of my older nephews and nieces (21) as babies, a number falling asleep in my arms. However, a couple of siblings were military spouses, and my own academic and IT professional work had me working in other states; occasionally a sibling moved within driving distance or a job near a couple of siblings' homes. Other times it might be an occasional family event or holiday visit with the folks.
It's possible I've mentioned this story. I used to socialize at the Catholic Newman Center during my graduate student days at UH during the 80's. It was my save haven away from the stresses of academic life. Occasionally young families would visit, and one time while the parents were busy talking to the Dominican Fathers, I played with their 3 small children maybe in the year 2-6 range. They had "tackled" me, etc.Their parents were grateful I kept the kids occupied during their stay.
That's not the whole story. There was a campus mass around mid-morning on Sundays with an after-service doughnuts-and-coffee upstairs. I had never particularly noticed little kids at Mass (maybe they had some sort of childcare program I didn't know about.) So I was in a greeting area outside the chapel doors, when I suddenly became aware I was surrounded by 20-30 little kids all looking up at me--and in front of them were the 3 kids I had played with the other day. I guess the word got spread that I was a fun adult. I had never seen so many little kids in one place before. I love kids; I think they can sense that.
So anyway last Friday I'm at the laundromat watching my clothes dry. (Normally I bring along my Kindle to read.) A mother and her adorable little curly haired 2-year-old girl (I asked when they left) were using 3 dryers near mine. Apparently the mother's husband is a mechanic; she noted even after the latest wash, there wasn't much she could do with the dark stains. The little girl was initially shy to this stranger smiling at her, but I think she liked the attention. She soon started hiding behind things and checking to see if I noticed here. I started waving at her, and she waved back. She, of course, did the typical things small kids do, like opening the still-running front-loading dryer. I must have stumbled across a game she played with her Daddy. Her mom gave her the used dryer sheets to toss into the trash can. When she did, I said, "Good job!". She came up to me with a raised left-hand to give me a high-five. I thought it was the cutest thing ever. She was warming up fast. I think the mom left (with her) to pick up something to eat after laundry. The girl fished out a bagged snack (Bugles?) and ignored her mom that the snack was not for now and to put it back. She struggled to open the bag and walked up to me with the bag, obviously wanting me to open it for her. (Her mom quickly retrieved the bag.) They soon after left.
I had been wondering if I had lost my charm with babies since a family reunion. My then baby grandniece Julia seemed to be lunging for me to hold her. My niece-in-law seemed to think the same thing and was about to hand her over to me, when Julia started to kick away from me, like I was the Baby Nightmare Monster. I'm still wondering what happened there. Was it my aftershave? Had I lost my baby mojo?
Newest Hallmark Hall of Fame Film "The Beach House": Thumbs UP!
I have had my fair share of criticisms of Hallmark storylines, particular in the romantic comedy arena. There continues to be this trend of movies about obscure English-speaking European royalty (mostly men but at least one woman) falling in love with an American; I don't know if this reflects American odd obsession with the British monarchy and Prince Harry's upcoming wedding. The concepts of all men created equal and the rule of law make me recoil even at the notion of a benevolent monarchy."The Beach House"is an adaptation of a well-known novel (I'm not familiar with it, but I haven't read a novel in years). The matriarch of the family is, unknown to the others, dying from cancer; her daughter, an up-and-coming professional, recently lost her job in the big city and has come to visit her family beach house home. There is a resentful sibling left behind over the interim 15 years, looking after their mother. Of course, there is a love interest also left behind for the returning daughter. The brother wants to sell his mother's beach house, which both women reject. There's a circle of life theme involving turtles who nest on the nearby beach and a hurricane which threatens both the beach house and the fragile turtle nests. I won't write spoilers here but I think it's one of the better cable movies I've seen in a long time, beautifully shot.
It seems that signature holiday season comes earlier and/or hyped earlier every year. Early this month on a Friday, I even saw them run a couple of holiday movies, and they are heavily promoting 22 new holiday flicks 6 months in advance! (Not to mention I think they also do a Christmas in July week.) Less (promotion) is more; build the mystery.
