With elves and Santa now safely put aside for the next year or so, a time to exhale.
It is time to process the Holiday. Time to learn from the past and understand how to make 2012 better.
That is hard to do when I think back to 4th grade girls basketball practice from a few days ago. As the coaching staff gave the girls a drink break we noticed several girls swarm to their cell phones. 9 and 10 year old girls who should be playing barbies after practice were checking if they had messages and/or downloading Bieber's latest hit.
I would say enough already if my daughter was not guilty of it herself.
Turns out Santa brought a nice little Samsung Intensity II for my little point guard.
And I am torn. Not solely because Santa now has to incur some more charges on his already ridiculous Verizon bill. Although that certainly is on his mind.
Santa, and more specifically Mrs Claus, are pretty badass detectives too so the security issue is not a concern. That is, we are pretty sure she is going to be a safe and responsible young girl. Least she better be. I have seen Mrs Claus' work and it can be pretty effective. Think Keitel's Bad Lieutenant meets Helen Mirren's Jane Tennison (from the BBC Prime Suspect.)
Mostly the concern is how quickly her youth (like all her peers) is disappearing. Sure, she played with legos all weekend, in an almost savant like stupor. But tomorrow the second half of 4th grade starts. Her phone will be neatly packed in her young adult bookbag. The things on wheels!!! Why is it the more tech savvy we get the kids bags are bigger and bigger??? Can they all get laptops/tablets and be done with textbooks?? Sorry, I'm off on a tangent.
When school ends and homework club begins she will text me something like: "Hey dad. Hi."
And I will text her back "I love you... making my way out of City now."
Then a quick dinner... then off somewhere to her hoops game... then sleep... rinse... repeat.
High School. College. Married. Kids. Grandkids. Blink of a freaking eye.
Santa had every right to bring this latest device.
There is a responsible and well mannered little girl being raised here. Say what you will about the controlled chaos she has been exposed to over her first 9+ years. We got one thing right.
What everyone fails to tell you, ok they all tell you, but boy they DO grow up so fast.
How can they not? State of the art phones were something you saw in bad Sci Fi movies when we were 9. Now if a 9 year old does not have a smartphone he or she is ridiculed.
2012 is not only my final year in the 30s, but her last year before age 10.
Time to cherish every moment as if it's the last. Cause in many ways it might very well be.
See yesterdays post from DocS for some more thoughts on parenting: http://guidetosomewhere.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-years-resolution-2012-ask-myself.html
Housekeeping/Call to Arms:
For those who have been following the blog you will have noticed a new writer to the fold. Please welcome Doc S and make him feel right at home. His Holiday posts not only afforded me a week off, they also reminded me how witty, smart and funny he is. His fresh take and vast knowledge of all things literary and political will class this thing up. I am lucky to have him... and so are you!!!
That said, I strongly encourage the rest of you to consider posting/contributing. What are things like in North Carolina? The Midwest?? LA???
I have friends in those spots. You have friends in those spots. Let's hear from you!
Music your thing? Sports? Film? Bring it.
Let's grow this thing in 2012. Last January there were 3 posts and no readers. Last month over 2000 people took a look from about a dozen countries. Be anonymous. Be spontaneous. Be obnoxious. You have carte blanche.
First, be on the couch for the Winter Classic. Oh wait, that's just me.
It is time to process the Holiday. Time to learn from the past and understand how to make 2012 better.
That is hard to do when I think back to 4th grade girls basketball practice from a few days ago. As the coaching staff gave the girls a drink break we noticed several girls swarm to their cell phones. 9 and 10 year old girls who should be playing barbies after practice were checking if they had messages and/or downloading Bieber's latest hit.
I would say enough already if my daughter was not guilty of it herself.
Turns out Santa brought a nice little Samsung Intensity II for my little point guard.
And I am torn. Not solely because Santa now has to incur some more charges on his already ridiculous Verizon bill. Although that certainly is on his mind.
Santa, and more specifically Mrs Claus, are pretty badass detectives too so the security issue is not a concern. That is, we are pretty sure she is going to be a safe and responsible young girl. Least she better be. I have seen Mrs Claus' work and it can be pretty effective. Think Keitel's Bad Lieutenant meets Helen Mirren's Jane Tennison (from the BBC Prime Suspect.)
Mostly the concern is how quickly her youth (like all her peers) is disappearing. Sure, she played with legos all weekend, in an almost savant like stupor. But tomorrow the second half of 4th grade starts. Her phone will be neatly packed in her young adult bookbag. The things on wheels!!! Why is it the more tech savvy we get the kids bags are bigger and bigger??? Can they all get laptops/tablets and be done with textbooks?? Sorry, I'm off on a tangent.
When school ends and homework club begins she will text me something like: "Hey dad. Hi."
And I will text her back "I love you... making my way out of City now."
Then a quick dinner... then off somewhere to her hoops game... then sleep... rinse... repeat.
High School. College. Married. Kids. Grandkids. Blink of a freaking eye.
Santa had every right to bring this latest device.
There is a responsible and well mannered little girl being raised here. Say what you will about the controlled chaos she has been exposed to over her first 9+ years. We got one thing right.
What everyone fails to tell you, ok they all tell you, but boy they DO grow up so fast.
How can they not? State of the art phones were something you saw in bad Sci Fi movies when we were 9. Now if a 9 year old does not have a smartphone he or she is ridiculed.
2012 is not only my final year in the 30s, but her last year before age 10.
Time to cherish every moment as if it's the last. Cause in many ways it might very well be.
See yesterdays post from DocS for some more thoughts on parenting: http://guidetosomewhere.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-years-resolution-2012-ask-myself.html
Housekeeping/Call to Arms:
For those who have been following the blog you will have noticed a new writer to the fold. Please welcome Doc S and make him feel right at home. His Holiday posts not only afforded me a week off, they also reminded me how witty, smart and funny he is. His fresh take and vast knowledge of all things literary and political will class this thing up. I am lucky to have him... and so are you!!!
That said, I strongly encourage the rest of you to consider posting/contributing. What are things like in North Carolina? The Midwest?? LA???
I have friends in those spots. You have friends in those spots. Let's hear from you!
Music your thing? Sports? Film? Bring it.
Let's grow this thing in 2012. Last January there were 3 posts and no readers. Last month over 2000 people took a look from about a dozen countries. Be anonymous. Be spontaneous. Be obnoxious. You have carte blanche.
First, be on the couch for the Winter Classic. Oh wait, that's just me.
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