Friday, September 19, 2008

Childhood pleasures

There is something so  amazing about watching children that have are still unaware of grown-up realities. I really do find stories about my friend's children so satisfying and amazing that I find it important to share some childish humor. 

One of the great pleasures of Rachel's children is to go out onto their Aunt Sherrie's boat. Here is Emma racing around behind the dinghy at a speed that was, perhaps for a moment, just a little faster than Emma desired... but that smile tells all!
Is that cheeky little girl sticking her tongue out at me? Shame, shame!
What isn't seen here is a picture of Graham the day before when, after he was pitched into the water by his life-vest, he pops out and tells his mommy (Rachel), "That is not good, not good at all!" It amazes me that a three year old can immediately just spew out language that belies what, I perceive,  is beyond their age. I do so enjoy being surprised by children. As much as I know they are just little people, I still have preconceptions based on not having children of my own. 

I thank all my friends for allowing me to share all the fun moments, that don't include diaper changing, tantrums or vomit with their children. I am most impressed with the intelligence and interest that they show. Granted, this group is limited to Chris and Caprice, Rachel and Garth, and (so to a lesser degree due to their infancy), Mark/Heather and Scott/Gretchen. I haven't had the chance to meet Kelly's girls or Mike and Conzuelo's boy Kiev, but I expect that I will be just as amazed by who those children are too. 

There was a time when I was set against having children, but a good friend of mine turned me around several years back. Apparently I am not done being a child myself to deal with diapers yet. I am still that little boy sitting on a motorbike with that shit-eating grin... Oh, wait... That is just Graham!
I kept worrying about Graham and Emma falling off the bike and not being able to catch them due to my "gimpiness". 

Have I mentioned yet that I crashed here in Seattle? Yeah! It was crazy. I saw the trolley tracks, noticed that they were at a 33 degree angle to the road, tried to compensate and hit them straight on, but ultimately I was pitched off the bike into the oncoming lane. There is nothing as humbling than lying on the ground and knowing that everything still works ok, but you are now separated from your wheels. Ugggh! 

A person in one of the cars in front of me got out of his car and asked if I was okay. From the ground I gave a big thumbs up and he drove away. Seconds later I realized that it might have been nice to get help lifting the bike since my knee seemed a bit wonky. No worries on that account either. I used a technique that a Goldwing rider mentioned several months back and the bike went right up. It is a good thing that I pay attention to little useful bits of information on occasion. Now that the bike was upright and I was upright, I evaluated my injuries and decided that ice was required and I was in luck that there was a place I could secure it just a block from where I went down. Minutes later I sidled up to a bar and asked the pretty and pert bartender for a bag of ice and a double Captain and Coke. 

Nothing better than being able to medicate immediately to ease one's injuries.

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