Monday…Wait, Friday Experiment: Values IV

Cute Kids in Children's Costumes, originally uploaded by epSos.de.

 

I've noticed one obvious thing about my experiment to write about my values each week until the end of the year. Every week it's taken me longer! I started out with the intention to write Saturday, type Sunday and post Monday.

Here it is Friday and I'm just winging it! This is par for the course. That's why I am not making any New Year's resolution. However I'm here and better late than never.

The fourth of the principles I live by is protect the children. Here's an example. Last week on Wednesday morning, my brother-in-law phoned while I was still in bed. You might say WTF as you picked up the phone (I did). But he'd heard on the news that the Maple Leafs would be practising that day at an outdoor rink in the city.

The Maple Leafs are a losing hockey team beloved by Torontonians. In fact it's said that our love keeps them lousy because tickets are always sold out and so there isn't much financial incentive to improve the team. My older d is a big hockey fan. My younger d is game for anything.

So, after I'd done what I needed to do and taken too long about it, I headed out with them, walking at a brisk pace because (crap!) I'd left late and didn't want them to miss anything. The rink was about a 45 minute walk from our house. It was a cold day but not bitterly so. I was pretty warm by the time we got there.

As it turned out, the Leafs weren't coming on yet. We had to watch some minor league hijinks, listen to various speeches (including the mayor's–he got booed). Then the Leafs came on the ice while we all cheered. My younger d was a good sport and my older d was in heaven as the players made sure to skate close to the fence so everyone got a good look at their good looks. (This was a side benefit for me–they were pretty cute and obviously having a great time skating and shooting pucks.)

Behind me stood a clutch of noisy young men in their late teens or early 20′s, fans and would be paparazzi shouting at the players to turn so they could email pics to their friends or FB or whatever. They towered over me (all 5'2″) and they were annoyingly loud. I put up with them until the players started throwing pucks over the fence.

Fredrik S.

As Fredrik Sjostrom skated right in front of us, a puck in his hand, I pointed to my kids, saying "Throw it to the girls." Fred smiled and threw it right over the fence. Right then, the guy behind me, reached up to grab it. He didn't realize that just wasn't happening. This was for the kids. Apparently I yelled, "Let the girls have it, you idiots!"

I don't remember that, but I do remember knocking his arm because he asked, bewildered, "Why did you do that?" And I replied, "They're little girls, let them have it."

And it turned out that he and his friends weren't such bad sorts at all, because they didn't put up a fuss about it. You know, it's all about the kids, isn't it?

Filed under: Art & Photography, My Life Tagged: protect the children