Want an instant pick-me-up? Open a jar of jelly in front of your 9-year-old son.
He was in the kitchen this morning trying to open the jar with all his might. He strained, he struggled. Spencer banged the jar against the counter with no success. Seeing how this could have potential bad implications, I reached out and took the jelly jar from him. With a quick move, I removed the lid.
Spencer's eyes grew big in amazement. I could see him trying to figure out how he could bring me to school for show-and-tell. There would be a book deal and movie rights. We would call it something clever such as, "The Dad Who Could Open the Jar."
It was nothing, kid. Next, I will show you how to eat a whole box of doughnuts while drinking a bottle of soda at the same time.
It's the same look he gave me when he saw me tossing a football with a neighbor kid. It was a gaze of pure wonderment.
"Dad, did you play football in college," he asked later. There was a long pause and then I had to tell him the truth.
No, son. But my college newspaper honored me once for oversleeping and missing the basketball team bus. I covered that road trip for our sports section by phone.
Some day, my son will know the truth. He will know about my 2-inch vertical leap, my 15-minute mile and 2-6 basketball record as a grade-school basketball coach.
Until then, I will enjoy the attention while it lasts.
