The New Status
Well it’s taken 42 years and 13 days, but I think I’ve finally earned my super hero badge, I’m not sure if that includes a whole outfit or just the cape part, but clearly I’ve got some sowing to do. It’s easy enough to say that sweetie and I earned them a few years back what with keeping Ike alive that first year when he was sick and in and out of the hospital all that time. But that’s your blood and kin. There isn’t anything you wouldn’t do for your own child—jump through a ring of fire and back or sit through a religious soaked Multi Level Marketing presentation about the benefits of Micro-Nutrients; the new millennium’s snake oil. No, you’d take a bullet for your own family, no doubt about it.
I found myself at the deli section of the local mini-mart yesterday afternoon, getting some cold cuts for last nights quick and easy dinner idea: Sandwiches. At the other end of the counter a young woman shows up with her infant in the seat a grocery cart. The little girl was probably not any older than two, although if I was a betting man (something they frown upon in super hero school, no doubt) then I would say she was about 18 months. Just old enough to walk but no where near stable enough on her feet, even if her feet we planted firmly on the ground. She was a wiggly little thing, squirming around enough for me to do a quick visual check to make sure she was strapped in to the seatbelt they now have on those carts. She did, but she also had the look about her that no mere seatbelt could contain her.
It happen in a flash really…her mother turned her back for a second, and in that brief moment the little girl escaped the clutches of the ill fitting strap and was standing on the little seat teetering with her arms out reaching for her mother. I don’t really think my feet touched the floor, or if they did it was no more than once to cover the 20 or so feet between us. I caught her in that split second between her loosing her balance and her falling over the edge and on to the hard cement floor below. The whole deli section gasped, and the color drained from her moms face. The little girl was fine, wasn’t even scared, no doubt never even realizing she had been in any danger.
Me, I just got my roast beef and got outta there. The adrenaline had kicked in and I was starting to shake. I staggered around the mini-mart for a while, forgetting everything on my list before heading to the check out. I called Sweetie just to let off a little steam; I needed to tell the story to someone—to settle myself down and to just take one good deep breath.
I don’t know how police and firemen do this. How do you pull a body from the wreckage before the car explodes or the building collapses and then get on with the task of everyday living. Don’t get me wrong…I’m sure I’m gonna like the new uniform an all, I guess I’m just hoping I don’t have much need to use it anytime soon.
Today the Brown Dog and I are sitting at our new morning hang out. She’s on her best behavior cause she knows she’s getting a special treat by being allowed to even sit in here. She’s a good person magnet there’s no doubt. She’s learning that everyone who’s anyone loves a well behaved dog, nodoubaboutit.
I found myself at the deli section of the local mini-mart yesterday afternoon, getting some cold cuts for last nights quick and easy dinner idea: Sandwiches. At the other end of the counter a young woman shows up with her infant in the seat a grocery cart. The little girl was probably not any older than two, although if I was a betting man (something they frown upon in super hero school, no doubt) then I would say she was about 18 months. Just old enough to walk but no where near stable enough on her feet, even if her feet we planted firmly on the ground. She was a wiggly little thing, squirming around enough for me to do a quick visual check to make sure she was strapped in to the seatbelt they now have on those carts. She did, but she also had the look about her that no mere seatbelt could contain her.
It happen in a flash really…her mother turned her back for a second, and in that brief moment the little girl escaped the clutches of the ill fitting strap and was standing on the little seat teetering with her arms out reaching for her mother. I don’t really think my feet touched the floor, or if they did it was no more than once to cover the 20 or so feet between us. I caught her in that split second between her loosing her balance and her falling over the edge and on to the hard cement floor below. The whole deli section gasped, and the color drained from her moms face. The little girl was fine, wasn’t even scared, no doubt never even realizing she had been in any danger.
Me, I just got my roast beef and got outta there. The adrenaline had kicked in and I was starting to shake. I staggered around the mini-mart for a while, forgetting everything on my list before heading to the check out. I called Sweetie just to let off a little steam; I needed to tell the story to someone—to settle myself down and to just take one good deep breath.
I don’t know how police and firemen do this. How do you pull a body from the wreckage before the car explodes or the building collapses and then get on with the task of everyday living. Don’t get me wrong…I’m sure I’m gonna like the new uniform an all, I guess I’m just hoping I don’t have much need to use it anytime soon.
Today the Brown Dog and I are sitting at our new morning hang out. She’s on her best behavior cause she knows she’s getting a special treat by being allowed to even sit in here. She’s a good person magnet there’s no doubt. She’s learning that everyone who’s anyone loves a well behaved dog, nodoubaboutit.
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