Fred Potatoes
This morning for breakfast I had a yogurt. (I'm sure you're thrilled to know that, but wait there is a point to it.) So this morning The Boy (he's not a little boy any more) saw me eating this for breakfast, and he proceded to lecture me on that not being enough of a breakfast. Then he started to list off alternatives that would be acceptable. Oatmeal, Eggs, a bowl of cereal with Soy Milk (yes he was that specific) or even "Fred Potatos"! Of course he meant Fried Potatoes, I knew that. But this one really made me laugh. Not because he misspoke but because it was the first time in a long time I've heard him say something like this. The little kid goof up of words. I adored them when he was 3 and now that he's 7, I don't get to hear them that often. Soon they'll be gone. But today I'm relishing in Fred Potatoes.

A Shave
Last night The Boy asked me if it hurt to shave. I was a little startled by this question, but I answered no, it pulls a little but it doesn't hurt. He simply said "ohh". So I explained how to hold the razor and which way to move with it as to not cut yourself. While I was answering his question in my mind's eye I journeyed back into the house I grew up in, that little house on the main street and the alley. I saw the 14 year old version of me and my Dad teaching me to shave. I remembered the way the afternoon sunlight fell into the room, the way breeze through the house felt, the smell of the shave cream, it all flooded back and drenched me like a huge wave.

Talking with my Beautiful Wife about the Boys question last night she suggested that I show him how to shave. He hasn't really seen me shave. I'm the kind of guy that does all that stuff in the shower. So this morning I changed my routine. I took my shower first, then got dressed and asked him to come in as I was going to shave and I wanted him to see how to do it. So he ran in there, and I shaved in front of the sink, and showed him how to put on shave cream, which direction to use the blade, the whole bit. You know the stuff us adults take for granted. I even showed him on his arm that the blade doesn't hurt going in the right direction. He looked a little nervous at first, but after he saw that nothing happened, it stood there amazed. It was the best shave I've had in a long time.



The Other Three Words
There are three words your Dad always told you that you never listened to. I don't mean "I Love You", those words we can't ignore, and I'm happy to tell you I heard those words often. No I mean the other three word. You know them, "No", "Listen" and "Be Careful". 

"No", which of course taught us that we don't need everything we think we want. No also taught us that there was always a good reason behind his answer. Not just that he wanted to see us miserable, which of course we all thought as teenagers. No meant learning self-control.

"Listen" which means, don't just hear the words, listen to the meaning and the way they are said. Listen means don't think about what you are going to say as we are talking to you, just recieve what I am saying to you. The older I get the more I understand that to listen, is very valuable advice.

"Be Careful" Okay, you caught me, be careful is actually a two word phrase, but I never heard one without the other. Be Careful seems simple, but it's really a phrase that is inviting you to think. Think about what you are doing. Does it makes sense? Will you hurt yourself? Will you hurt others?

All three are really great advise. Well Dad, it's taken almost 35 years, but I think I'm starting to get it now.

Have a great weekend everyone!