Open Windows

As I write these blog posts I am peering through an open window in time and reflecting upon life. There are times when I reflect upon the things that happen to me or to my family and friends. Sometime I am directly involved in the activities and then there are times when I am a casual observer standing off to the side taking it all in. I told a friend of mine just last night that I love to write when I am inspired to write. I told this friend that I find it difficult to just write one paragraph and then stop. There are days that go by that things happen but it is not enough for me to blog about it. I like to allow several days to go by and then I can have a collection of thoughts to share with you as I peer through those windows of time where I have experienced life and seen how my friends and family are affected as well.
Just yesterday I was reminded that there are still good honest people that are living in this world with me. I was bowling over at Sandpiper Lanes to pass the time and to get in some much needed practice. I spent the time bowling and then when it was time to leave I had gone out to the truck hauling the 30 lbs worth of bowling equipment and decided that it would be a good idea to get a locker since that is the only place I will be bowling now.
I rented the locker and at some point before I left I discovered that I had misplaced my wallet. The search was on as I back tracked my steps to the different locations to see if I could find the wallet. The man behind the counter got a phone call from a customer when I was outside in the truck looking through it and they had found my wallet out in the parking lot. The customer had found the wallet and instead of coming back inside he drove home and tried to find my phone number in the directory. My number has always been unpublished so he was not able to find me that way. His wife told him that he should call the bowling alley which he did and then he drove back and gave my wallet back. While I was waiting I was having visions of someone helping themselves to a free tank of gasoline via my debit card or credit card. I was agonizing over how much of a moron I had been to lose my wallet in the first place.
The important point to that little drama is that an honest person found my wallet and returned it to me unharmed. Just when we think that we are living in a world full of bad people something like this happens to renew our hope in humanity. I wish that I would have remembered who the man was or what the name of the company was on the side of his truck so I could thank him personally. My hat is off to you my dear sir and I want to say thanks for doing the right thing and bring my wallet back to me.
While I was out bowling and losing my wallet my wife was out playing chauffeur to my daughter and her four teenage girlfriends as they were shopping for a prom dress. Katy and I got to watch our princess turn 15 this weekend and my son 12. The month of May is particularly difficult on the budget because we have three birthdays and a wedding anniversary to plan for. The last couple of years have been particularly interesting as I have watched my “alien” daughter go from the age of 12 to the age of 15. It seems as if they older she has gotten the more independent and secluded she has become. One day my daughter was a typical 10 year old girl who was happy go lucky for the most part doing her thing and interacting with her family somewhat and then she turns into this alien being that I have never met before. One day I looked at my wife and said, honey where did the alien come from? Not only have I not gotten a manual on how to raise my children through the teenage years but I also have not gotten anything on how to relate to a female alien at the age of 14. I am happy to say that the alien daughter seems to have grown through the seclusion stage and is now making her presence known more. The other day my princess came up to me out of the clear blue and said, “Daddy when you get paid next will you buy me a prom dress?” I have to tell you that I almost fell out of my recliner. I cannot tell you how many times I have told both of my children that it would make me very happy if they would interrupt me when they need something. Most of the time they just go talk to their mother and leave me alone. I told Kristina that there is something special between a father and his daughter and that if she was careful that she could wrap me around her little finger pretty easy. I told her that all she has to do is make more of an effort to include me in her day to day activities. I do not expect my children to greet me like Ginger does. Ginger is one of the family pets and for some unknown reason she loves me like there is no tomorrow.
Unlike most men I am not the strong silent type. I thrive on human contact and verbal interaction with other humans. I love to be the communicator. There is nothing more enjoyable to me than to sit down and have a deep meaningful conversation with someone whether it is one on one or via Instant Messenger on the Internet. I have also been known to write letters to my pen pal friend in Texas and numerous e-mails to my friends around the world. I like to open up a portal into my world and allow folks to peer in and see what is going on. I also like to be given the opportunity to do the same with others but most of the time that does not happen too often. Most folks like to keep things really simple and superficial.
This week Kristina will be going to her 8th grade prom and I will have to figure out how I can become part of the crowd so I can keep a fatherly eye on her and the BOYS without being too obvious. I wonder if there will be some sort of observation deck in the gym or wherever the dance will be held that has a two way mirror for parents to watch from a distance. Will this observation deck be equipped with small portals for the tranquilizer guns that we dads will be carrying just in case some boy gets too close to our daughters? There is something about knowing that she is growing up and will be exposed to the dangers of the world and I won’t be included in the activities. Before I know it Kristina will be getting a drivers permit and going to her senior prom in high school. Between now and then I am expecting that she will start to admit to liking the boys and wanting to have more and more to do with them which will include dragging them home to meet ma and pa kettle and asking for permission for the boys to take her out on a date.
Game plan A is that Kristina won’t go out on a date by herself until she is 25 years old. Game plan B should that fail is that I will use the Dodge Durango as a dual purposed tool. Kristina can get experience driving with her learning permit at the same time that her date is in the back seat two rows behind me and I am in the passenger seat next to her. That seems to be a very comfortable arrangement. Kristina gets to drive and have her date at the same time.
Justin “Bam Bam” Moffitt turned 12 years old just today. The day before he turned 12 he copped an attitude because his darling sister got her prom dress and new shoes and he was afraid that all the money was gone and he was not getting what he wanted at Game Stop. Being the communicator of the two I engaged Bam Bam in a conversation about his expectations. I told him that no father wants to deny his children what they want within reason especially on his birthday. However there are things that happen in life which qualify as reality that keeps dads and moms from fulfilling every want that a child might have. The reality of our situation is that bills have to come first. Not too long ago I would have probably said to heck with the bills and I would have just given in to the pleadings of the kids and gotten them what they wanted. Then I would have had to face the music of the consequences for not paying my bills on time. I explained to Justin that his expectation of what he wanted to get for his birthday and what I was able to provide might not be reality.
All in all the kids had a decent birthday weekend. It could have been better but then again it certainly could have been much worse. As a father I feel a bit better knowing that it turned out better than I had expected.
On May 12th Katy and I will have our 17th wedding anniversary and on the 21st of May Katy will turn 48. Someone special to me is creeping up on the BIG 50 mark. I wonder if gizmo will go from being considered OLD by the children to ANCIENT. LOL… That is ok honey I am not too far behind you. I am so fortunate to have you as my friend, wife and mother of my children. You are such a blessing to all of us. I pray that we are together for another 17 years.






James Moffitt
http://www.lightourworld.com
http://moffittjc.blogharbor.com/blog
james.moffitt@comcast.net