Nine notes. Nine notes that are still recognizable today. Broken into two parts – 4 notes, then 5 notes. “Dum da dum dum” (Pause) “Dum da dum dum da.” Those notes were immediately followed by a stern narrator who informed listeners, “Ladies and gentlemen. The story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.”
On this day in 1949, Jack Webb debuted on radio as Sergeant Joe Friday in Dragnet. He created and produced the show as well. Wiki states that “Dragnet is perhaps the most famous and influential police procedural crime drama in American media history. Webb’s aims in Dragnet were for unpretentious acting and a realistic depiction of policing. The series portrayed police work as dangerous and heroic, and helped shape public perception of law enforcement in the 20th century, improving the public’s opinion of police officers.”
The radio show was so popular that it made the transition to television. It ran on NBC from 1951 to 1959. NBC brought the show back to television from 1967 to 1970. It first appeared as a feature film in 1954. It became the first theatrical film to be based on a TV show.
Check out this trailer!
A TV movie was produced in 1966 with the intention of it launching the return of the show to TV. It didn’t air until 1969 for some reason. The final film version made Dragnet a comedy starring Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks.
Wiki says “The film contrasted the terse, clipped character of Friday, a hero from an earlier age, with the “real world” of Los Angeles in 1987 to broad comedic effect. Apart from Aykroyd’s spot-on imitation of Webb’s Joe Friday and Harry Morgan reprising his role of Bill Gannon (now Captain), the film version has few similarities with previous incarnations. This Dragnet parody was a hit with audiences.”
Dragnet was no stranger to parodies. It was parodied by Looney Tunes, Woody Woodpecker, Sesame Street, The Three Stooges, Rocky and Bullwinkle, and a series of audio parodies by Stan Freberg. Jack Webb loaned Stan the actual band/orchestra he used on radio for his parodies.
As I mentioned, the theme is instantly recognized today. For the 1987 film, producers got the British band The Art of Noise to perform it. The them is actually two songs merged together. The opening is entitled Danger Ahead, and what follows is the Dragnet March. The Art of Noise version is very …. 80’s.
The first “hit version” was done by Ray Anthony and His Orchestra in 1953. It starts very familiar and gets a bit “jazzy.”
And to start your Monday with a laugh or two, here are a couple of Stan Freberg’s Dragnet parodies. Notice how the music “stabs” were used to enhance the story, just like on the radio.
It was on this day in 1891 that the amazing Carl Stalling was born. You may not know him by name, but I guarantee you know his work!
Carl is probably best known for arranging and composing music for cartoons and animated films. If you have ever watched a Looney Tunes or Merrie Melodies cartoon, you have heard his music. While at Warner Brothers, he averaged one complete score each week, for 22 years!
As a young man, he played organ accompaniment to silent films. It was about this time he met Walt Disney. Walt had him arrange some music for a few of the early shirts. He even had Carl do the voice of Mickey Mouse in 1929’s The Karnival Kid. He worked with Disney for two years.
In 1936, he began working on music for Warner Brothers. From 1936 onwards, Stalling was the film score composer for almost every theatrical animated short released by the company until he retired.
Director Chuck Jones was asked about Stalling:
A few years back, Carl’s music was released on an album called The Carl Stalling Project. A year or so later, they released a second volume. It is actually very cool to listen to!
You can listen to the amazing soundtrack on YouTube! Some of the cuts have studio chatter, which I always love listening to. Here is a link to the albums:
Back in 1969, a childhood staple premiered on National Educational Television, a precursor of PBS. 55 years later, Sesame Street continues to entertain and teach children everywhere!
I grew up watching the show. I always got a kick out of Ernie and Bert. I even had an Ernie hand puppet.
Kermit the Frog was the newsman I trusted most as a kid. I loved watching Grover mess up that one guy’s order at the restaurant. I remember that artist who painted the number of the day on whatever he could find. Guy Smiley seemed to host whatever show was happening and Cookie Monster couldn’t get enough cookies! I loved Count Von Count and the fact that there was always a thunder clap and lightning when he laughed!
They were my first TV friends. Oscar the Grouch, Big Bird, the Martians, the Twiddle Bugs, Mr. Hooper, Susan, Bob, Gordon, Maria, and Luis kept me company and helped me learn so much. I remember having the Sesame Street Little People, too!
We played, we learned, and we sang songs! Who can forget the Pinball Song? The Lady Bugs Picnic? “C” is for Cookie? I Love Trash? The People In Your Neighborhood? Sing? The Alligator King? It Ain’t Easy Being Green? I Don’t Want To Live On The Moon? Rubber Duckie? I had Rubber Duckie on a 45 and played it on my portable record player!
The format has changed a lot and so has the cast. Additional Muppets have been added, and some new humans have replaced old ones. The show has been shortened to 30 minutes, and it is mostly Elmo now. The number and letter of the day are just throwaways now and only get a brief mention. It lacks so much of what it had, but it is still going!
I could always count on Sesame Street to do exactly what its theme song said it would do – chase “the clouds away!” Great memories for sure!
Welcome back to The Music of My Life, where I feature ten songs from each year of my life. In most cases, the ten songs I choose will be ones I like personally (unless I explain otherwise). The songs will be selected from Billboard’s Year-end Hot 100 Chart, Acclaimed Music, and will all be released in the featured year.
1991 saw big changes for me. In April, a former coworker called to ask if I wanted a full time radio job at his station. It was a small market on the west side of the state (In Ludington). My girlfriend at the time and I had just had a big argument and I figured “Why not?!”
I was all by myself, in a place where I really only knew one person, at a job that decided to pay less than what I was told when I moved. It was lonely and I struggled a lot. The day I turned 21, I went to the store to buy beer and they never even carded me!
That summer would be one of my favorite summers. Michigan’s West side is just beautiful. I had never seen sunsets like those before! They were breathtaking.
Musically, there were some powerful tunes released in 1991. Some of them wouldn’t play into the events of my life for a few years, but when they did …
The first pick from ’91 is a song that I have found people either love or hate. I’m not sure why. Personally, I love the guitar sound and the harmonies in it, and I love the lyrics.
More Than Words is a song that was written by Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme. Nuno says, “The word ‘love’ itself gets really diluted, so we just wanted to say, ‘It’s not really about saying it,’ because everybody gets really worked up when somebody says that to each other. They say, ‘I love you,’ and everybody goes, ‘Oh my God! It must be serious. It must be heavy.’ It’s like, ‘Eh… it’s easy to say that.’ It’s really about showing it constantly and continuously in a relationship. We knew that was the message.”
The song was a huge hit for them. People who rushed out to buy their albums were quite surprised when they heard that the band primarily played Rock music. The band has called the song “both a blessing and a curse.”
More Than Words
R.E.M. had released the very thought provoking Losing My Religion from their Out of Time album as their first single. Their follow up was a song that could not be more different! That song was Shiny Happy People.
Michael Stipe calls this “A really fruity, kind of bubblegum song.” In an interview with The Quietus, he said that he was a bit embarrassed when it became a big hit, but it’s an important song because it shows a different side of him. Said Stipe:
“Many people’s idea of R.E.M, and me in particular, is very serious, with me being a very serious kind of poet. But I’m also actually quite funny – hey, my bandmates think so, my family thinks so, my boyfriend thinks so, so I must be – but that doesn’t always come through in the music! People have this idea of who I am probably because when I talk on camera, I’m working so hard to articulate my thoughts that I come across as very intense.”
Kate Pierson from the B-52s sang backup. She was in demand for her distinctive vocals after the B-52s achieved mainstream success with Love Shack.
In 1999, R.E.M. performed this on Sesame Street as “Furry Happy Monsters.” Kate Pierson’s part was performed by a Muppet that looked like her, voiced by Stephanie D’Abruzzo, a Muppeteer who was also a huge fan of the band.
Guitarist Peter Buck has two daughters who were big fans of the show. “You just looked around,” he recalled to Mojo in 2016, “going, Man this is a weird way to make a living.”
I had heard the song on the radio but it wasn’t until I was sitting at home watching Sesame Street with my oldest that I gained an appreciation for it.
Shiny Happy People
My next one had been on my iPod for years before the lyrics really hit me. My ex and I were at a point where all we did was argue. It was a very unhappy situation.
It was after an argument that I was in the car and heard Mariah Carey’s “I Don’t Wanna Cry.” Those lyrics were something I could have wrote;
Once again we sit in silence After all is said and done Only emptiness inside us Baby look what we’ve become We can make a million promises But we still won’t change It isn’t right to stay together When we only bring each other pain
It stung, but it was true. The end was upon us.
This was Mariah’s fourth consecutive #1 hit on the Hot 100, making her the first solo artist and female artist in Billboard history to have their first four singles top the chart.
I love her vocal and the guitar work in this one
I Don’t Want to Cry
Long before I stood next to a very drunk Hank Williams Jr at a urinal in Nashville, he had put out an album in ’91 entitled Pure Hank.
One of the singles that was released was If It Will It Will. It’s very easy for us to get caught up in worry, but worry isn’t good for us. Hank’s simple advice is something we should all remember,
“If it will, it will. If it won’t, it won’t.”
The weirdest thing about this song is the video. Right at the beginning, Little Richard shows up. To me, he’s out of place and isn’t utilized very well. Even when he does sing along, you can barely hear him. The song, however, is a favorite. It starts off with a bluesy vocal/introduction and then kicks.
If It Will, It Will
As I compile these lists for each year, I always seem to stumble on one that could be used for another feature. The next song would certainly work for my Movie Music Monday feature. It was a big hit from the Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves soundtrack.
(Everything I Do) I Do It For You was written to order for the movie. It was initially written by American film composer Michael Kamen. The middle eight, break, outro and arrangement added by Bryan Adams and producer Mutt Lange. Adams used a line in the movie, “I do it for you…” as the basis for the song, and they had it written in about an hour.
The song didn’t meet with Hollywood approval. The film company wanted the song to have an instrumentation that was in line with the film’s era. Can you imagine the song featuring lutes, mandolins, and the like? The film company eventually relented, but still buried the song midway through the credits. They were obviously unaware of the huge hit they had on their hands.
The reason it made my list is because of an ex-girlfriend. It is not because it was “our song” or anything like that. She asked me if I knew the song. Naturally, I did. It was a big bridal dance song. She told me to listen to it again, but to listen to it as if God was speaking the words (making changes to tense and such).
You can’t tell me it’s (your) not worth dying for You know it’s true Everything I do (did) I do (did) it for you
I had never thought of it that way before. I always remember that conversation when I hear the song.
(Everything I Do) I Do It For You
I love Bonnie Raitt. I love listening to her sing and watching her play. She is blues. She is country. She is pop. She is folk. She is something!
She was no stranger to the music scene. Her first album came out in 1971! She also did some session work. She’s collaborated with artists like John Prine, Jackson Brown, The Pointer Sisters, Warren Zevon and Leon Russell. She finally had some success in 1989 with her award winning album Nick of Time.
The first time I heard Something To Talk About on the radio, it stuck out to me. It was so different. As a blues fan, I could hear that blues influence and I feel in love with the song. The song would go on to be her biggest chart hit in the United States, rising to #5.
She was never a singles act, but after her four Grammy wins for the album Nick Of Time, her songs started getting radio play. With radio play, they began showing up on the chart. “Something to Talk About” was the lead single to her next album, Luck of the Draw. Because of her prior success, the song was highly anticipated and radio jumped on it. The song won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Bonnie beat out Oleta Adams, Mariah Carey, Amy Grant and Whitney Houston.
Sadly, it is also a karaoke favorite that is destroyed by many a “wanna be” singer in pubs everywhere! I’ll take the original, thank you.
Something To Talk About
The next song is on the list not because of the content, but the title. “Things That Make You Go Hmmm” became a sort of catch phrase. Arsenio Hall used it on his show all the time. I still hear people using it today!
C+C Music Factory was a dance floor staple when I was DJing. “Gonna Make You Sweat” is still one that I hear when I go to weddings. “Things That Make You Go Hmmm” was a huge dance song when it came out. It had a cool dance beat and some catchy lyrics.
Songfacts says this:
In the early ’90s, before gangsta rap took hold, rap songs were often lighthearted and clever, telling self-deprecating stories over dance grooves. Examples of this would be “Bust a Move” and “Funky Cold Medina.”
I think that is why that early 90s rap is still popular today. They really were very clever. They were also light on profanity. It isn’t odd to see “MF” and other profane words right in the titles as time goes on. That always made me laugh because how can anyone like a song where 75% of the lyrics are bleeped out? I guess that’s one of those … Things That Make You Go Hmmm….
Things That Make You Go Hmmm
The next song was one that was never released as a single. I became familiar with it after my grandfather passed away in 1994. I was extremely close to my grandpa and was heart broken when he passed. I received Reba McEntire’s For My Broken Heart album from my dear friend Allyson.
We both have birthdays in May and when life wasn’t so complicated, we’d meet for coffee or lunch to celebrate. She gave me this CD as a gift. She mentioned that she knew I was still grieving the death of my grandpa. She told me she thought of me when she heard the song, If I Had Only Known.
Quick background on the album. Reba recorded this album after losing many members of her touring band in an airplane crash. In her liner notes she says the album is “a form of healing for all our broken hearts.”
When I listened to this song for the first time, I thought about my grandpa (as Allyson had suggested). It moved me to tears. A decade later, I would hear it and think of my mom, too.
The lesson of the song? If we were aware that we were experiencing the “last” of something, we’d live life a bit differently.
If I Had Only Known
I always love to hear stories about how a song almost didn’t happen. That was the case for I Can’t Dance by Genesis. It came from a mix of a Jam session and writing session.
The lyrics are made up of bits that Phil Collins improvised in the studio. When they started working on it, they decided to just write spontaneously to keep from over-thinking it. Mike Rutherford first created the main riff of the song he called “Heavy A Flat.” Which led Phil to suddenly improvise the basic concept for “I Can’t Dance”. The riff was actually inspired by a Levi Strauss & Co. television commercial.
Originally, the band did not think of it as anything more than a joke recording that would be discarded quickly. They felt this way because the song was too simple, too bluesy, and unlike Genesis’ style. Tony Banks said, “It was one of those bits you thought was going to go nowhere. It sounded fun but wasn’t really special.”
When Banks decided to add keyboard sound effects to complement Rutherford’s playing, “I Can’t Dance” took on an entirely different feeling. The band came to appreciate the sly humor inherent in the song and chose to not only record it properly, but to put it on the album as a single.
The video created a lasting image thanks to the “silly walk” the three band members did. This walk was something Phil Collins did from time to time. He got the idea for it when he attended drama school and noticed that the worst dancers would always lead with the hand and foot on the same side. The dance has become sort of iconic.
I think that I relate to this song in that I can’t really dance. I sway when slow dancing. Fast dancing? HA! Forget it. I can’t. When I try, I look like Elaine from Seinfeld.
I Can’t Dance
When I was DJing at the local VFW, line dancing was a pretty big thing. There were all kinds of country line dances. At one point I had to make a list so I knew what dances people were doing to certain songs.
“Can you play Moo Moo Land?”
That was what someone came up and asked me one day. Moo Moo Land? What in the world was that!? Naturally, my dad knew it because there was a dance they did to it. It was called “Justified and Ancient” by the KLF and featured Tammy Wynette! What a weird pairing!
But it gets weirder! According to Songfacts:
The title “Justified & Ancient” refers to the KLF’s pseudonym and earlier incarnation, “The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu” (The JAMs). The JAMs took their name from Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson’s sci-fi tinged, conspiracy theory-laden Illuminatus! Book series in which The Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu are a fictional subversive cult who have been around since pre-history. The song lyrics describe the Justified Ancients making their way to Mu Mu Land in an ice cream van.
Huh?!
Even Tammy was unsure about it. She originally thought the song was called “Justified and ANXIOUS.” She said, “As it was, I didn’t understand what some of the words meant. I know about ice cream vans, but I’d never heard of a 99 before,” she added. “Bill explained it to me and now it makes perfectly good sense. I’m still not sure about Justified and Ancient though.” (A 99 is an ice cream with a flake in it).
Really, it is a great dance record. It’s neat to hear Tammy Wynette on it and it really revitalized her career.
Justified and Ancient
Last week I threw in that crazy Bingo Boys song at the end of my list. This week, I have to throw in another totally ridiculous song at you. Again, it is one that my best friend Jeff and I laughed about – a lot.
The group 2nu (pronounced “two – new”) was a pop group out of Seattle, Washington. When they first hit the scene, they has yet to come up with a name. A radio DJ said that the band was still too new to have a name, and they decided that worked. They have only released three albums, the first in 1991. What makes them unique (if that is the right word) is that their songs consist of sound effects, rhythmic beats, and a spoken word lyric. Their first single was “This is Ponderous.”
The song is more bizarre than ponderous. My buddy and I used to laugh at the “language the narrator doesn’t understand.”
Feel free to file this in the “What the heck was that?” folder…
This Is Ponderous
And with that silliness, we wrap up 1991. I mentioned that I can’t dance this week. Next week, as we dive into 1992, it contains the only fast song that I will dance to. It is an interesting list. It includes three cover songs, one parody song, three movie songs, a song about a royal feud, a song for the hard workers, and a song for the poor. I think you’ll enjoy it.
Did I forget one one your favorites from 1991? Drop it in the comments. I’d love to see if it was one that was on my radar.
I truly hope you are enjoying this series. Thanks for reading!
I realize that the title of this blog (and the picture above) may be misleading, because it is not about Burt Reynolds. In my defense, they say that having a good blog title will make people want to read it – and here you are! So just what is this blog about? A cartoon role model.
Never Heard of It
The age difference between my oldest boy and my daughter is 18 years. The difference between my youngest son and my daughter is 13 years. Kids shows are constantly changing. Sure, some of the same shows my oldest watched were still on when my youngest was born. However, it seems that outside of Sesame Street, there are always new shows on. PBS is barely recognizable now outside of Sesame Street and Curious George (to me anyway).
Let me say before I go on that the TV is usually background noise. I do not plant my daughter in front of it and use it as a babysitter. In fact, the things she likes most are the theme songs. Once they are over, she’s off playing with her toys or bringing me books to read. The only show that she really watches is Bubble Guppies. I think she likes it because of the bright colors and the fact that there is a lot of music in the show.
Bubble Guppies
When Ella gets up in the morning, I usually give her a sippy cup of milk and turn on the TV. Most mornings I turn on Disney Channel. There is a show on there about a family of Australian dogs. It’s called Bluey. I had never heard of this show until recently. If I had to compare it to another show, I would say it is kind of like Peppa Pig, but better. So why I am writing about this silly little cartoon? And who could possibly be a role model on the show??
The Show
The show revolves around the Heeler Family – Dad (Bandit), Mum (Chilli) and the kids (Bingo and Bluey). The show was created by Joe Blumm, who based much of the show on raising his two daughters. He said that many of the story ideas were directly based on watching his daughters play. The program’s scripts show how children can use gameplay to learn lessons and integrate the world of adults into their own; Brumm noticed how his children would recreate interactions such as visits to the doctor, through roleplay. On the show, he wanted to portray the importance of imaginative play. His creative aims were to make children laugh, and show parents what children can learn while engaged in play.
The Role Model
Bluey’s Dad, Bandit, is a true role model for fathers. He is “all-in” as a dad. The reason I chose to write about him was that I noticed just what a fantastic dad he is! He doesn’t have his head in the newspaper, or his phone in his face while his kids are playing – he gets right in there with them. When the kids tell him what character he is – he becomes that character. Maybe he is a baby in the supermarket, or getting a shot at the doctor. Maybe he is a crazy robot or a garden gnome, whatever the role, he embraces it and plays the part like he is working toward an Academy Award!
Through it all, there are lessons to be learned as well. In one episode, Bluey finds a bird that is injured. She tells her dad who, rather than blowing it off or telling her to go talk with mommy, takes the bird to the vet. They wait for news at the vet, and find out that the bird died. He is there for her as she processes the new concept of death. There’s nothing funny about this, and there is no punch line (as you might see in a sitcom with your stereotypical sitcom dad). Bandit is a truly wonderful dad.
One thing parents tend to forget is that your time becomes your kid’s time. What do I mean by that? Simply this – if I want to sit down and watch a Detroit Tigers game on TV and Ella wants to play “Tea Party,” then I need to play with Ella! That’s that! Bandit is that way! If he is in the middle of mowing the grass and Bluey wants to play, the grass can wait! The kids are the priority! They get his full attention!
Looking back, I feel bad. I know there were many times that my boys asked me to do something and I was in the middle of something else. I found myself putting them on “hold.” The problem with that is – they keep growing and growing fast! By putting them on hold, you miss out on bonding and moments you will never get again. That being said, I turn to Bandit as my role model!! Maybe I need to ask myself in those instances “What Would Bandit Do?”
Do yourself a favor, especially if you are a parent – watch the episode of Bluey called “Take Away”. After watching it, you will see how wonderfully this cartoon shows the joys of parenthood and the occasional chaos that goes with it. If you don’t learn something from how Bandit handles the frustrations of the situation from this short cartoon, you missed something!
Almost every TV show today shows the dad as a goofball. Oh sure, they have their “moments” where they have the heart to heart talk with their kids and the lesson is taught, but most of the time TV dad’s are comic relief. Bandit is the dad that most of us dad’s should strive to be like.
Who would have thought that a simple pair of mittens would have brought so much joy … and unity … to a nation?!
A photo of Bernie Sanders wearing mittens at the Presidential Inauguration has gone viral. In case you haven’t seen the original … here it is….
Thanks to creative people … and Photoshop … Bernie has brought the nation together in laughter. He has become the hottest meme on the internet. Social media has been flooded with pictures of Bernie is movies, TV shows, and awkward places….
So I had to share some of my favorites!
Bernie ad-libbing on Whose Line Is It Anyway?Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?Bernie Sanders is Mr. Frederickson in Pixar’s Up!Bernie sits in on a staff meeting on The OfficeBob Ross – creator of “happy little mittens”Bernie just figured out Blue’s Clues!Now, whenever I read Goodnight Moon to my daughter … I will think of this!Talk about being in an awkward position! Help me, Obi Wan Kenobi … you’re my only hope!I would totally buy this album for Bernie’s Rhymes!Bernie and Baby Yoda may be the cutest thing on the internet.Obviously ready to heckle Fozzie or KermitBernie is a bit ticked that his $1 bid did not get him on stage.The Sorting Hat must decide whether Bernie goes to Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin.Ready to ROCK!!
Thank you, Bernie for uniting a nation with laughter!
The word for today, dear reader is “Echolalia”. Echolalia is a normal part of learning language. A child learns how to use language by repeating what they hear around them. So echolalia is basically when children repeat what you say. I was reminded of a story, which prompted me to write this blog today. That story (and a few others) will follow, and also serve as a reminded to “watch my mouth” in the months and years to come.
I won’t lie, I tend to swear more at work. My co-workers have almost come to expect it, and sometimes I swear just to get a laugh. The real swearing comes when I get frustrated about things like computers that freeze or crash, equipment that doesn’t work, and typical work things. When I am at home, I tend to swear a lot, too. Usually, I am talking about work.
My wife joked that our daughter’s first word might be the F word. Well, I can’t let this happen. I really have to watch my mouth. I almost have to get into the frame of mind of a 10 year old and worry that my mouth might be washed out with soap if I let some curse words fly!
History Repeats Itself.
The story that prompted this blog happened when I was about 4 or 5 I am guessing. It happened sometime in the early 1970’s. I was a toddler and could obviously talk. I was in the car with my dad. Where we were going doesn’t matter. There were no cell phones or tablets to play with, so I am basically looking out the windows and maybe listening to the radio. I am startled suddenly by the sound of the car’s horn. My dad has been cut off by some driver either getting into his lane or turning in front of him. Immediately, his fist (or maybe middle finger) is raised and he yells, “You stupid prick!” Naturally, I want to know what happened. So I innocently ask, “What did those pricks do, dad?” Dad, without missing a beat says, “There were sticks in the road! Stupid STICKS”!
Many years later, I am sitting in my living room. I am trying to figure out what is wrong with my laptop computer. It was not odd for Dante’ to play on the PBS or Sesame Street websites on it. So here I am trying to figure out if there is a virus or if there is a problem with the internet and my frustration is growing by the second. Dante’ wants to play in the computer. He has let me know this more than once. I keep telling him that I am trying to fix it. At one point, my ex asked me what I was doing. It was all it took to set me over the edge, “I am trying to figure out what is wrong with the damn computer! I can’t do anything on this fucking computer!” Dante’s standing right there and tears welled up in his eyes as he says, “But daddy, I wanna play on the fucking computer.”
Yeah, not my proudest moment.
Sleep Swearing
Another Dante’ story. As you know I work in a sleep lab full time. I get asked a lot about sleep walking and sleep talking. Dante’ always talked in his sleep. Dimitri does on occasion, as well. One night they both had a conversation with each other while they were both asleep. Sleep walking and sleep talking can be very common in children. One time, I got to witness Dante’ do both at our house. I can’t say for certain, but I am just gonna guess that I influenced this incident.
I was up late, working on a paper or homework for college. While I am sitting in my chair working, I hear Dante’ get up. I am thinking he is going to go to the bathroom or something. He walks to the end of the hallway and into the living room, where I am, and looks at no one in particular. He yells, “Where’s the damn computer?!” I look at him in shock and amazement, and said, “What, buddy?” He is glassy eyed and obviously asleep. He again shouts, “Where’s the damn computer?!” He walks into the kitchen, which is dark, looks around for about 3 seconds, turns abruptly around and says, “I didn’t need it anyway!” and went back to bed. He was perhaps 8 or 9 and it was hilarious.
A Visit To The Principal
Influence is everywhere. I got in trouble in elementary school once because of something I saw on the Dukes of Hazzard! I don’t recall the exact exchange, but I remember an episode where Uncle Jesse said the word “bastard”. I want to say he said something like “bearded bastard” or “bumbling bastard”. Whatever he said, I had never heard the word before and I thought it was funny. So I said it at school one day. I don’t even know how I used it, but Bobby Wilson heard it and told the teacher on me. It got me a trip to the principal’s office. I was scared to death. It was the first time I had ever gotten in trouble, and I didn’t even know what the word meant!! I am sure I told the principal this, and he must have agreed with me because I was sent back to class with the warning to never say that word again.
Watch Your Mouth
I used to tell my sons this all the time – and still do. Now that they are older, they seem to think it is ok to let a swear word fly now and then. Their mom laughs when they do this, however, there are times I feel it is inappropriate. I get it. They are getting older and think that this gives them the freedom to do it. It doesn’t help that I still spew out a profane word now and then. So I guess I need to heed my own advice, and watch my mouth.
I certainly do not want my daughter’s first word to be something I regret. So I will try to curb the use of those words. I will begin sprinkling “dagnabbit,” “shoot,” “shut the front door,” “Sufferin’ succotash,” “Shitake mushrooms,” “H-E-double hockey sticks,” “Balderdash,” “Gee willikers,” “Son of a gun,” and “Fart knocker” into my vocabulary! It won’t be easy, but I will give it a go!
I was reminded of two great quotes that may be of help to me. Maybe they will help you, too.
The above is something I started using when dealing with certain toxic people in my life.
The above is one that I had forgotten about. What an amazingly powerful quote. I think I may need to visit that a few times a day. I certainly need to put this in practice.
Today’s blog comes from a “Daily Writing Prompt”. The prompt reads: “Do you remember your favorite book from your childhood?” This prompt comes after I stumbled on a set of books that I had as a kid in a used book store.
The Charlie Brown Dictionary was a set of 8 books that had definitions of words. I remember my parents ordered these from somewhere and every month a new volume would arrive. I loved when a new volume would arrive. They had the entire set at this book store for the bargain price of $2! How can I pass that up?!
The writing prompt also comes a week or so after the baby shower. One of the things we want for our baby is a good library of books to read. We did receive some books at the shower, some of which I recognized, and some that I didn’t. Some of the books we received were books that I had read to my boys, and I am excited to share them with our daughter, too!
As I thought about the prompt, I don’t know that I can actually recall my “favorite” book as a kid. There are, however, many that I do remember vividly. I thought it might be fun to sit and off the top of my head, write about some of the ones I remember. I am sitting down to write this blog knowing that it will be incomplete. It will be incomplete, because I know I am going to probably miss a lot of them. Here goes:
The Poky Little Puppy
When I was growing up I think I had every one of the “Little Golden Books”. Of all of them, this is the one that immediately comes to mind when I think about my childhood. I remember buying it when my oldest was a baby and reading it to him. I really didn’t remember the story up until that point, but for me to remember it for so long, I am just guessing it was a favorite. I remember there being many Disney stories that were in the Little Golden Book collection.
Another Little Golden Book that I had, and eventually shared with my sons was a Sesame Street book.
The Monster at the End of This Book
As a child of the 70’s, I watched a lot of PBS. Sesame Street was a show I watched faithfully. Mr. Hooper was still alive when I was watching Sesame Street! The adventures of Ernie and Bert, The Count, Big Bird, Grover, and Kermit helped me learn letters and numbers. I mentioned in a previous blog that I had an Ernie hand puppet. I also had a stuffed Grover. I liked him cause he was always so silly. Grover is the star of this book. It is such a fun book to read and I am sure that it made me laugh as a kid, as much as it made my boys laugh! I can’t wait to share this one with Ella.
Dr. Seuss Books
I probably had every single Dr. Seuss book ever written! They were very popular with my generation. I have found that people either love or hate his books. I had a friend who just loathed when her son would pick Green Eggs and Ham to read. I could never figure out why.
I remember I was doing mornings on B95 and it was Dr. Seuss’ birthday. We had one of the contestants from American Idol (Phil Stacey) in town to do a show for us. We were talking about Dr. Seuss books with our newsman, Hal Maas earlier in the show, and he couldn’t remember half of them (which we razzed him about often). We actually had Phil Stacey read “Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?” on the air! The book has all kinds of silly noises, and Phil played it up on the air! It was so silly to hear him reading this, but he told us how much fun it was!
I am sure I will be reading Ella many of his books.
Three Little Kittens
This was one of Dante’s favorite books. I think he loved it because of the cat noises I used to make while reading it to him. I am almost positive that this was another book my mom read to me. This is a must for me to read to Ella, especially since we have two cats at home.
Like I said, I KNOW I am forgetting others that were probably read to me as a child. I am hoping that those of you who are close to my age will offer us some of YOUR favorites. By doing that, maybe you’ll refresh my memory about other books from my childhood.
Books I Read to the Boys
The books above were books I loved growing up, and read to my boys. The following books are some of my favorites that I remember reading to them at bedtime. These will all be in Ella’s library, because I love them all!
Goodnight Moon
This book is so simple. I loved saying goodnight to all of the objects and having the kids point to them. Dante’ would always make a “Squeak” noise when we said good night to the mouse.
This book came in very handy when trying to teach about sharing and being selfish. The moral of the story and showing how sharing with others can make everyone happy is a great lesson that even adults need to remember.
The Kissing Hand
This one was voted one of the Teacher’s Top 100 Picture Books for Children. I read this to both boys especially as it got closer to when they were going to preschool. It’s really a great book to help children deal with the “separation” issue of going to school. Our book came with all these little red heart stickers and I think Dante’ used to put them on his backpack or pencil box.
The Going To Bed Book
Sandra Boynton has so many great books for kids! I loved reading this one every night. It was so fun and her characters are just so cute! This is just one of MANY of her books that I loved.
I’m Thankful Each Day
Probably one of my top 5 books to read! One of my favorite bible verses is I Thessalonians 5:18 which reads: “In every thing give thanks”. Raising children, we want them to be thankful! We tell them to say “please” and “thank you”. What I love about this book is that you see this little boy who is full of gratitude. He is thankful for big things in his life, as well as the small things. He is so grateful – and happy! It is a must for Ella’s bookshelf!
Snowmen At Night
I love this book for so many reasons. Remember when you were a kid and you’d make your snowman? Then the next day you’d come out and he’d look a little different? It always made me wonder what he’s been up to! That’s exactly what this book is about. What do snowmen do at night?! This book is just so much fun to read and the illustrations are a hoot, too!
This book was a favorite of both my sons! Caralyn Buehner wrote a few sequels to this too (Snowmen At Christmas, Snowmen At Play, Snowmen At Work, Snowmen All Year)! My goal is to have all of these in Ella’s library.
Reading Dads Rock!
Reading is SO important! The great stories that are found in books will fuel a child’s imagination for years and years! A parent reading to their child is one of the greatest things in the world. It is quality time together. It is bonding time. It is something that I cannot wait to do with our daughter. Bring on the bedtime stories!!
November 10, 1969 – a wonderful little show debuted on PBS for kids called Sesame Street. It helped children learn letters, numbers, and over the years has tackled subjects like death, divorce, hurricanes, and autism. With human and Muppet residents, and many guest stars, the show has been an incredible educational program.
I grew up with Sesame Street. I remember the songs “The Ladybug Picnic”, “The Alligator King”, “The Pinball Number Count”, “Sing (Sing a Song)”, “The People in Your Neighborhood”, “Rubber Duckie”, “C is for Cookie”, and, of course, “Ma Nah Ma Nah”. I remember when Hooper’s Store was still run by Mr. Hooper!
When my boys were growing up, I sat down with them and watched the show of my youth. Elmo had pretty much become the face of the show, as the last 20 minutes of it was dedicated to Elmo’s World. Some of my favorites were still around, though. Ernie and Bert were still talking about pigeons, bottle caps, and Rubber Duckie. Oscar was still grouchy. Big Bird and Snuffy were still best friends (I remember when nobody but Big Bird could see Snuffy!). Cookie Monster was still crazy for cookies. Count Von Count still told you the number of the day, and Grover was still Super Grover (and still occasionally drove that one blue Muppet guy crazy in the restaurant).
Some new Muppets have surfaced over the years and some have gone away. I read an article about Sesame Street that estimates that there were over 1000 characters on the show in 50 years. Here are some characters that were on when I watched, but are no longer. Some you may remember, some you may not.
Kermit the Frog
Kermit, of course, went on to great success as the host of The Muppet Show, but he was your on the street reporter on Sesame Street. He often drew numbers and letters and taught us about them. He also would often be found interviewing another “missing” Muppet….
Don Music
Don Music was voiced by the late Richard Hunt. Don was a musician, lyricist, and pianist who would write songs. These songs were often close to real songs, and Kermit would often steer Don to the real lyric. Up until Kermit, Mary didn’t have a little lamb, she had a bicycle!
Don would struggle to write his songs and would often get frustrated and band his head on the piano (or wall, or whatever) and yell, “I’ll never get it!” The word is that kids at home laughed at this and would often imitate Don’s actions. I’m guessing banging your head on a piano in real life probably hurts more than it hurt Don. Sadly, his character was retired.
Roosevelt Franklin
I guess Roosevelt Franklin is probably the most famous of the “retired” Muppets. Matt Robinson, who also was the first Gordon on Sesame Street, provided the voice for him. He has his own school – Roosevelt Franklin Elementary School. Why was he retired? One article I read said this:
“Parents wrote to the Children’s Television Workshop to complain that Roosevelt was a negative stereotype of African-American children, citing his rowdy nature and the fact that his classes closely resembled after-school detention. Roosevelt only lasted from 1970-1975, but he has appeared in many Sesame Street books.”
It’s been a long time since I have seen a clip of him, so it’s hard for me to remember just how “stereotypical” he was.
Professor Hastings
This guy was a professor. In high school (and in college), there is nothing worse than a teacher or professor who is just plain boring. What was funny about him was that he was SO boring, he’d put himself to sleep while lecturing on letters or numbers. He wasn’t on the show too long. Guess he was REALLY boring!
Herbert Birdsfoot
Seen here with Grover (who was often his assistant), Herbert stepped in when Kermit the Frog was phased out. He began to teach numbers and letters with Grover’s help. Kermit, however, did return to Sesame Street on occasion over the years, and Herbert was eventually retired by the sixth season of the show.
Bruno, the Trashman
Bruno was created by Caroll Spinney (the voice of Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch). During the first few years of the show, Oscar couldn’t really move around. If he wanted to move, a cast member had to carry his trash can somewhere, or they showed the can moving with two feet under it. Spinney saw a puppeteer on the Gong Show and it inspired Bruno. With Bruno, he could walk with Oscar’s trash can, and operate him while doing so thanks to a hole in the stomach. Bruno never spoke. He appeared in the Sesame Street movie Follow That Bird and then spent many years in storage. While in storage, Bruno deteriorated and the decision was made to not rebuild him.
Sherlock Hemlock
I always loved this guy! He was voiced by the great Jerry Nelson. He was “the world’s greatest detective”, and obviously a rip off of Sherlock Holmes. I remember him yelling, “Egads!” anytime he “discovered something. He was a very prominent character in the 70’s and 80’s, but was phased out as newer characters were introduced. He is still a very popular character in the German version of Sesame Street.
The Amazing Mumford
Mumford is another Muppet voiced by Jerry Nelson. Remember his magic words? “Ala Peanut Butter sandwiches!” I believe the picture above is from a show where he cannot make the cookie (with the letter of the day) disappear. Cookie Monster, of course, finds a way to make it disappear – he eats it.
Guy Smiley
Guy Smiley was the “perfect host”. He hosted quiz shows, contests, and other things that needed “a host”. I always loved his name! When I was a kid, Guy was on almost every show, but you’re lucky if he shows up today. That’s a shame. His name alone should make you smile!
Happy 50th Birthday!
It is just amazing that this show continues to be a wonderful source of learning for children. Television is not such a friendly place for kids today. Even some of the cartoons made for kids, tend to cross a line. The songs and characters of Sesame Street will continue to help kids learn the alphabet and numbers for years to come, as well as tackle some tough life issues.
Thanks for the memories! Happy Birthday, Sesame Street!
This weekend, I DJ’d homecoming dance. For high schools, all my new music is on a hard drive and I play it from the computer. When I do weddings or parties, I still bring some CDs. Recently, I have been going through boxes of CDs in hopes of putting what I don’t have on my hard drive, on the drive.
While most of my CDs are professional ones containing albums and music, I have some homemade CDs of things that I have burned to CD from various places I have worked. I found 2 CDs marked “B95 Stuff” and “More B95 Stuff” in a box and took them with me to listen to in the car. I was unsure if these CDs were data or audio CDs. When I popped them in the CD player, I was happy to find they contained audio clips.
Most of the audio was phone calls from listeners. I used to do an “impossible question” every day for prizes and there were many phoners of listeners guessing the answer. One of my favorite calls was on the first disc. A woman caller simply asked, “Yes, is the answer poop? Going poop!?” Like the word poop wasn’t enough … she had to explain “going poop”! There were also many requests, as I did a request lunch show.
I also found some interviews with Mary Chapin Carpenter, Tim Rushlow from Little Texas, and Terri Clark. Some of the phoners were just silly things, I used to have listeners say things like “Keith Allen? They let him out on parole?” or “I love every thing about this station, but Keith Allen!” or “Keith Allen? Turn that radio off!” There were a couple calls that took me by surprise.
Call #1
The first one was hearing a call with my friend, Marie. If you read my previous blog, Marie was my friend who just passed away last week.
There were actually 2 calls from her on that disc. One of them she wins a contest I was doing, and another she called to talk about watching Trace Adkins rear end when he was in concert. (There were other females who called to talk about his butt, as well.)
She was one of those friends who would do anything for you. When my oldest son was born, she had this beautiful blanket made with his name on it and also had a small photo album made with an engraved nameplate. When my youngest was born, she bought him one of my favorite outfits. I spoke with her just a few days before she passed and she was asking what we needed for the baby. She was always doing things for her friends. While it was nice to hear us joking around about Trace’s butt on the CD, it was sad to remember that she has just passed away. Her funeral is Wednesday.
Call #2
The second call was one from my friend Pat. I always called her Pat, but I think most people called her Trish. I also met Pat while at B95. She was forever trying to win prizes. She always came up to our remote broadcasts and talked with us. She was a HUGE fan of the band Alabama. She used to call up and say that she was lead singer, Randy Owen’s wife. I used to kid her and ask is his wife knew about that! She and I had a lot in common, and became good friends. She was a huge Elvis fan and we often talked about him and his music. I remember how excited she was when she told me she was going to Graceland. I had been there while in Memphis for a St. Jude visit, and I told her how much she was going to love it.
The first time Pat won a prize from me she was SO excited. “I won?! OH MY GOD!! WE DID IT! WE WON!!! THIS IS AMAZING!!! (Laughter) I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!!” It was such a great response that I used to use that call as my “stunt winner”. If we ever had someone win a prize who was not excited about it, I’d say “Bring in the stunt winner” and play Pat’s call! The call on the CD was when she won some hockey tickets and she kept saying how much her boys were going to love it. She passed away suddenly in 2014, leaving behind her four boys and a granddaughter who she spoke of so often. She was such a wonderful person and we shared many laughs together.
Call #3
The third call that got me was a call I made to my grandma. Phone calls from my grandma were a staple on the show. I used to call her every Christmas Eve (if I worked on the holiday) or the day before. Christmas Eve was ALWAYS at her house – I wrote a blog about it here:
The phone call would consist of me asking grandma what was for dinner. She would go on to talk about homemade ravioli, breaded steak and ammoglio (pronounced moy-gyoo) sauce, the many varieties of cookies, cakes, and cannoli, and the other items featured in the Christmas Eve Feast. This call, however, was NOT about Christmas Eve, which is what made it even more special.
This call actually helps me date the CDs. This call was made July 24, 2001. How do I know this? I was calling grandma to wish her Happy Birthday. During the call she offers up without hesitation that she is 77. She goes on to talk about how my dad was razzing her about something and then asks when I am coming over. She then went on to tell me how I needed to come see her “while my eyes are still open” because “I’m not going to be around much longer” as she often said.
It was emotional to hear her voice. She was sharp as a tack for so long. She was your stereotypical strong willed Italian woman. Knowing that shortly after that call, she would develop dementia was sad. She passed away in 2007, at age 83. Hearing her say “I love you” one more time on the phone – was priceless.
A Recovered Memory
I must have been doing a phone topic about teddy bears. There was probably a story about people sleeping with Teddy Bears or something, which led me to ask “Who still sleeps with a Teddy Bear?” or “Who still has their Teddy Bear from their childhood?”. The calls were about bears and toys that they had growing up. I don’t remember what the caller is talking about, but I respond about something I had growing up that I had totally forgotten about. This has a tie-in to my grandma, who I just mentioned.
It is funny how you can forget about things. I will forever remember a Teddy Bear that I had when I was little. I had it with me in the hospital when I had my tonsils out at 3 years old. The thing I had forgotten about is something I probably had around 5-7 years old. It was a hand puppet of Ernie from Sesame Street. Today, PBS has tons of kid shows. As I remember, Sesame Street, The Electric Company and Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood were pretty much it on PBS. On CBC there was Mr. Dress-up and The Friendly Giant, but that was it. Sesame Street was my “go to” show. I think somewhere there is a picture of me with Ernie and Bert slippers!
What do I remember most about this Ernie puppet? First, the head was not felt like the real Muppet. It was a hard rubber/plastic. This helped when you went to make him talk. I guess I took him everywhere. I remember I’d bring him over to my grandma’s house and she would tease me. She’d put a lit cigarette in Ernie’s mouth and make him smoke. I hated that! “Ernie doesn’t smoke, grandma! That’s bad for you!” Grandma never said his name right. She always called him “Arnie”. I remember her telling me when I was older that when my brother and I stayed overnight there I used to make her kiss Ernie goodnight! “I had to kiss that dirty old Arnie!” I literally just chuckled out loud as I wrote that because I can hear her saying it!
In Conclusion
I have CDs of my Honey Radio shows with my partner, Rob (https://nostalgicitalian.com/2018/04/26/get-a-load-of-this-guy/), which I listen to often. I still laugh along with them. He always made me laugh. While I am sad that he has passed away, I think he’d be happy to know that I still listen to those shows and they are still funny 25 years later!
I’m glad that I decided to pop those CDs in and give them a listen. Much like the CDs of Rob and me, these also made me chuckle, but also made me sad. At the same time, they are a reminder of good friends and family, who continue to make ripples (see previous blog) long after they have gone.
It is still a year away, but it is becoming very real, very quickly.
Last month, on the last day of school, my oldest called me and proudly announced, “I’m a senior, dad!” It’s not like I didn’t think this time was coming, I knew it was. I knew when I held him as a newborn baby that time was going to go quickly. Life already moves quickly, and they say that when you have children, it moves a whole lot faster! I would definitely agree!
First steps. First words. First day of pre-school. First day of kindergarten. First holiday program. First day riding the bus. First day of middle school. First day of high school. First band concert. First awards ceremony. How quickly these firsts fly by. Next year, we begin to see the Last first day of school, the last final exams, and eventually, the last last day of school.
Today, we took my son, Dante’ out to have some senior pictures taken. Times have certainly changed from when I had mine done. 31 years ago, they had the photographer set up in one of rooms in the school. You made an appointment. You got dressed up in a suit and tie and they put you in some ridiculous poses. For those in sports, they may have posed with a football or basketball. I had my trumpet with me in one pose. They allowed you (for a fee) to pose with a friend. I know that I have pictures with my friend Steve and Margaret. You had to pose for one generic head shot (which would ultimately be your yearbook picture). Most of the other poses were just awkward. I have this one of me with the suit coat in my hand and over my shoulder – it looks so stupid!!
Our friend Amy came out and shot his pictures. Prior to the shoot she was clear that the way we would get authentic pictures was to make sure he was dressed comfortably. In other words, if he was not a suit and tie guy, then don’t force him to wear it. She wanted to know his interests so we could get some shots of him being natural and relaxed. We sort of mapped out a tentative plan and did as much as we could (knowing that he would probably get to a point where he’d be burned out).
Dante’ and his friends from school love old cars. He has always amazed me as we drive around town. He can point to a classic and give me the year, make and model of the car. He loves them. He’d been asking to go to a classic car show this summer and today, they had one in Flushing. It was going on while I was on the air, so Sam met Amy and they took some shots near some of the cars of his choosing. They also got some good pictures in the park where the car show was held.
He also loves video games and arcades. There was one in the mall near us, so that was the next stop. Sadly, it was much different from the one that we had been at before. Perhaps there were new owners, I don’t know, but it was more geared toward younger children. I met the group at the mall after work and we looked at the rest of the agenda. It was extremely hot and humid and we could see he was getting tired.
There is a park near us that has a creek, a bridge, and a trail. We decided to go there and see what kind of pictures we could get there. Dimitri had been out in the sun all day on Thursday and was still nursing a bad sunburn, so Sam took him home and I continued with Dante’. We took quite a few shots there and I am excited to see them.
We walked down one of the trails and were looking for more opportunities for pictures. Dante’ was walking ahead of me and I had a flashback. One day the entire family was walking the trail by our old house. He and Dimitri were walking in front of me holding hands (the picture is probably on my Facebook somewhere). It was autumn, and the leaves were changing. I told Dante’ that the trail reminded me of that. Without hesitation, Amy told me and Dante’ to walk ahead of her and just talk. For 5 minutes, I just walked and talked with my son. Welling up with emotion, I put my arm around him and he did the same to me. Amy snapped some pictures of us, and I am pretty excited to see them. It was a very special moment.
There was talk of going to Crossroads Village and Downtown Flint, but it was obvious that he was getting close to being done. Crossroads is a very special place for him because of his love for trains, and the fact that when he was 4, my mom spent the day with him at the Day Out With Thomas the Tank Engine. Downtown Flint would have been cool because there are so many cool photo opportunities. Knowing that he was running on empty, we came back to the house.
At the house, Amy wanted to get some shots of him playing video games. This was important to him. He loves gaming and his senior pictures should show that. Amy’s daughter, Skyler, made a very cool sign that was in the shots with his video games that read: “High School – Game Over!” The sign sat next to a stack of his favorite games.
Dimitri wanted a picture of the two of them back to back playing games, so she made sure to get that one for him. She then had the boys sit on the side porch in the rocking chairs and just talk to each other. Nothing forced. Just casual conversation between two brothers. I am sure that these pictures will be awesome!
Finally, we had Dante’ standing on the front porch and we hoped to get some shots there. I think we got one. In a very bizarre weather change, in a matter of seconds, the wind picked up, there was a clap of thunder, and the clouds opened up and the rain came pouring down. Dante’ went in the house and Sam and I stood on the porch chatting with Amy. That was the end of the shoot and it went better than I expected.
Dante’ thanked Sam and gave her a hug thanking her for a fun day. He had been so worked up about getting the pictures done. I am guessing he probably thought it would mean him sitting and posing like they did for me. His photo shoot, however, was a fun day looking at classic cars, going to the park, and gaming on camera. He thanked me too, and every bit of the emotions hit me. My voice cracked as I told him that I still couldn’t believe he was a senior. He looked me in the eye and said, “Are you crying, dad?!” Yes. Yes, I was.
I went in the house and stood in the window looking at my senior with tears in my eyes. There was the little boy who I sang to sleep each night with Dean Martin songs. There was the boy who waved to me from the bus window on one of many first days of school. There was the boy who was nonverbal and pointed at pictures to tell us what he wanted to eat. There was the boy who stood close to the TV mesmerized by the “Blue Shadows” scene in The Three Amigos. There was the boy who sang “Elmo’s World” with grandma as they watched Sesame Street. There was the boy I coached with his baseball team. There was the boy who played my trumpet in his first band concert. There was the boy who I rushed to the hospital after his tonsillectomy because his stitches broke. There was the boy who I cheered for when he learned to ride his bike without training wheels. Each of those things brought dad to tears. Now here is dad, crying again. Where that boy stood – now stands a young man who towers over his dad. That young man is about to experience the fastest school year of his life.
I am sure that there are many more tears that will flow in the coming months. I can’t help it. I will cry when I see the pictures that were taken today. I will cry at awards ceremonies. I will cry at his commencement ceremony. I will cry at his graduation party. Those tears are mixed with sadness, joy, and pride. This is a transition for him. It signifies the end of school and childhood, and the beginning of adulthood. After graduation, he plans to go to college and maybe do something with logistics, although he still occasionally talks about working with trains. His future is bright and I will be cheering him on until I breathe my last breath.
I will do the same for his brother. He’s got 6 more years before he is a senior, but rest assured, I will shed tears of joy for him in the coming years, too! I can only imagine the wonderful things he will be doing in the years ahead, and I look forward to praising him for all of his accomplishments! He will continue to grow up quickly, just like his brother. In 6 years, I am guessing I will be looking out a window through tears at him, too, recounting his milestones and memories. It’s what dad’s do.
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 