Now here is a little story that isn’t meant to embarrass anyone but, I think it’s really cool. I won’t be using any names, so I apologize if that makes it some what confusing. Anyway, let’s get on with the story. I have a couple that I’m friends with, and they have a son. This year their son is playing football for the first time, and the entire family is totally stoked about it. That’s right, I said totally stoked.
Pretty typical story thus far, right? Well, here’s the thing. My buddy has never been in to professional sports. If you want to know about kayaking, rock climbing, under water basket weaving, video games or running well then he’s your guy. NFL, NBA or Major League Baseball just are not his thing. So, I give him a lot of credit for having the guts to ask me to help get him up to speed.
You know, it’s really cool when a kid takes on an interest that his or her parents have. Could be that dads’ alma-mater becomes his favorite college, or begins to love poker because mom does. That’s all very cool. But, it’s even cooler when a parent gets involved in something they never really cared for, just because their child cares about it.
So I give my friend all the credit in the world. Asking another guy for help is really never easy. We see almost everything as a chance to make fun of each other, with almost nothing being off limits. And I can’t imagine how awkward it has been for him to have other fathers try talking sports at practice, or feel as if he can’t contribute any advice to his son about his play. That is how you man up.
My mom used to always keep an eye on what my beloved Mets were doing, so she could bring it up in the morning while making my breakfast. I always thought that was really cool. Not that she learned enough to have much of a conversation about them, but the fact that she took any interest at all was always impressive to me.
Now the same friends told me how I need to meet their sons’ teacher. I believe the term “rockin’ body” was used as was “23 years old.” Needless to say, I’m all for meeting. The reason I’m writing about it now is, this reminded me of one of my favorite stories about my first niece.
We were at my nephews school play, he was in 3rd grade I believe, with my niece in 4th. I see my niece talking to her teacher who is for starters cute, and secondly she looks really familiar. Not just because I wanted her to, she actually did. She really had one of those faces I knew from somewhere but I couldn’t place it. So, I ask my niece her teacher’s name. Again, it’s familiar but too common to place. I think we went to high school together so I tell my niece this, and she runs off and asks her teacher where she went to school. All this during the play mind you. The munchkin comes back and confirms it, we indeed went to high school together.
After the play ended, for which my nephew should win a Tony and really there’s never been a better alligator in the history of the theatre, I make my way over to the former classmate now educator to say hi. We do the typical hi how are you, yadda yadda yadda. And then my sweet little niece chimes in with, “will you go out with my uncle?”
I’m not sure who turned a brighter red but, I like to think it was her. We both just laughed it off, as plenty of parents looked on. I told my niece a few minutes later that she would be in big trouble, if only it hadn’t been so funny. And that’s when I knew I couldn’t be a parent. That would be my rule. You aren’t in trouble if I laugh. Oh, you played a prank on the principal and got suspended okay, but did the prank itself make me laugh? It did, and so you can go out Friday.
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