My father-in-law treated Seth & I to a semi-annual gun show expedition this morning. It was amazing. It embodied the fantasy of most south-of-the-Mason-Dixon-Line-husbands by selling everything that couldn't legally make it into an average flea market; and yet, it still somehow managed to maintain the same vibe. Each kiosk displayed unique varieties of stylized tools to cut, dismember, or totally obliterate anything in its path. Nothing like a good, old-fashioned, Uncle Sam shot of testosterone to kick off this 4th of July. I think even my neck now has a slight hint of red to it.
So, what did I walk away with?...Slingshots.
Yep. The heavy duty kind with the wrist guards & surgical hose. All you need are a lot of rocks and a few soda cans & hours of boy-fun lay in front of you. I'm now sitting on the bench swing in the back yard, watching that exact scenario play out in front of me. The moving picture of Bishop & Seth taking aim in a very familiar stance seems crazy to me. It really doesn't seem that long ago when yours truly struck that same pose down in Soutwest LA. With the exception of this laptop, life now has that "not much has changed" feeling. And yet, anyone sane can readily see how that's anything but true.
The world as I knew it in '74 was simple, clear cut, even archean compared to the dualistic mess my boys now have to wade through. Complication is the artillery of our age. Pulling the trigger on anything Post Modern has become a convoluted task. True independence no longer exists in that Wild, Wild West state of dreaming. It now has to be tempered by media bias and a politically correct model of bureaucratic tolerance. Empty rhetoric. We've gone from the Iron Age to the Slag Age.
So, it does my heart good to rediscover this day of independence through my two sons. Outside of true freedom (read my wife's blog), there's something to be said about just grabbing a rock, pulling it back, and lettin' 'er fly.
Good words Marty. Glad you are having a relaxing time.
Posted by: Jennifer Eckert | July 04, 2009 at 06:07 PM