Lets play ball in the park

a boy walked down a busy city street

staying very close to his mother

clutching the ball tightly

on their way to play in the park

cars buses and trucks noisily sped by 

the boy was oblivious to the traffic

his mind was fixed on playing ball in the park

his mother took a call on her cell phone

the ball slipped from the boys hands

he stopped walking as the ball went down

it struck his foot and bounced up in an ark

the ball was heading for the road

everything went into slow motion

the boy reached out towards the ball

he was stepping towards the road

his eyes focused solely on the ball

his mother was talking on the phone

but for some reason her instincts kicked in 

she spun round and saw the ball in the air

and her son following it towards the road

she lurched towards the boy

grabbing the hood of his coat

pulling him back away from the road

they both spun round and fell in a heap

as they sat on the sidewalk 

they both watched the ball in slow motion

it bounced once in the road

then landed under the wheel of a passing truck

a loud bang signaled its total destruction

the shredded remains smashed into the road

the boy looked deep into his mothers eyes

they went shopping for a new ball

My Dad

Photograph- me with my dad circa 1957

My dad was a kind man

Always helping others

Stopping for stranded motorists

Feeding the homeless

Giving sound advice to those in need

We went fishing together

Quiet times with little said

So good to be alongside him

Such a practical man

He taught me so many things

He was a proud Scotsman

With strong socialist beliefs

Always ready to listen to opposing views

Insisting his own children be well educated

In a neighborhood where most kids had no books in their house

He worked hard to earn a living

Putting every penny into the household 

Never spending on himself

He vowed that we would never go hungry

As he had done growing up in a poor family

He loved his grandchildren dearly

Sadly passing away when they were small

My children have no memory of the great man

Who unselfishly shaped my own life

Thank you Dad, I miss you 

temporary custodians

Photo by Camilla Draymarch on Pexels.com

Kids are very perceptive

They pick up on things

Even when you try and shield them from harm

I remember being in New York on 9/11

My kids were at school in Manhattan 

They were teenagers and well informed

It was easy to tell them what was happening

They saw TV images of the towers collapsing

After multiple showings I unplugged the TV

There was no need for them to see it over and over

We discussed what was going on

That was the easy part of parenting

But then came the difficult questions

Why did people deliberately crash planes into buildings

Its hard to answer the why when you do not know yourself

I feel for those with young children today

Trying to make them feel safe

After seeing such graphic violent scenes

From the Capital on Jan 6th

They will naturally want to know why

Any well thought out but slightly lame answer 

Will prompt them to ask why again

After three or four whys from them

You will run out of facts to share

Opinions will start to come out

Sharing your opinions shapes the way your kids see the world

They are the citizens of the future

We are simply temporary custodians

Our job is to not to screw it all up for them

The school of life

Education can open employment doors for you

But you still have to find those doors

Proving your potential can secure an initial job

However its only the beginning of your career

To forge a successful career

Continued learning is essential

Combined with hard work and dedication

Plus a healthy dose of ambition

You might need to change course a few times

Be open to new opportunities

Take some measured risks

Accept your failures as learning experiences

Looking back on my own academic education

It was totally focussed on preparing me for the workforce

Giving me the technical skills to solve engineering problems

Plus the communication and organizational skills to do business

I do not remember attending any classes about being a good citizen

There was never a class on how to establish good relationships

No classes on parenting or bereavement

No classes on how to cope with your own aging parents

I never reached for an old schoolbook

When one of my kids was sick

Or if they were having problems at school

There were no standard formulas for solving those problems

No academic classes prepared me

For my own relationship failures

Or for dealing with my divorce

The schoolbook on all that was nowhere to be found

I have learned a lot outside my academic schooling

Informal classes from my own dedicated wonderful parents

Combined with advice and guidance from friends and family

This was and still is my school of life