Chuck Norris Rambo Van Damme Arbus (five thoughts on injuries, parenting, and photography).

Three-year old boy prepares to leap off dangerous play set that ingenious dad rigged up

Boyhood

Somehow, it never gets old hearing three-year olds talk about their injuries, particularly when they appear to have recovered from them successfully. Maybe it’s a little weird that I’m okay hearing our three-year old tell various stories that involve closing lines like “…and then I snapped my neck.”

We are born storytellers, and then slowly dull facts and tragicomic reality drag the magic out of us. Thank goodness for children and their reminder to ever be scientists, artists, clowns, and philosophers.

Money question

There are things I looked forward to about having a three-year old son, and things I expected, but having him ask

“…why do you have kids?”

was not a question I had foreseen falling into either category.

I think I said something that seemed wise at the time. Something along the lines of:

“…because I wanted to be a dad, and save money, so, uhh, it seemed to make sense.”

I might have said something also about wanting a fellow like him and a girl like his older sis to hang out with and hug, but I think I mostly focused on the tax credit angle, as it seemed like the aspect he might be likeliest to latch onto as a three-year old.

Shooter shoot

Sometimes I question my profile image-capturing, but I have never looked at an aged photo of my children and gotten mad or sad or felt regret.

It triggers memories and more love.

The snapping will continue.

May I be:

prolific with shooting,
competent at cropping,
and wise with sharing.

Empty orchestra

When your wife wants to belt out a song and dance to a blasting Patty Cabrera track that she’s been rehearsing for twenty years, you not only tolerate it, you encourage it.

Because it’s what makes life sizzle and sparkle, not fizzle and…zarkle?

Jeremy Bentham

I could buy a playground set at Costco for a grand or so, or…I could make some rope swings and stick a 2x4 between two old stumps…which one would offer greater entertainment and recreation?

I’ll let you know what we go with.