THANKFUL FRIDAY
Cindy Maddera
"Field of Gold"
Recently, my friend Tiffany posted something on facebook about how her students had no idea who Paris Hilton is. What's totally freaky about that is that very morning while I was in the shower, I thought "what ever happened to Paris Hilton?" I thought this after looking up and seeing ants on the bathroom ceiling. Which made me start humming Lionel Richie's Dancing on the Ceiling. This in turn made me wonder about Lionel's daughter Nicole Richie who was bffs with Paris Hilton. Completely logical train of thought.
We drove home from my Mom's house Saturday evening, leaving early enough in the day to have daylight through most of our drive. At least up to the last hour or so. The section between Joplin and Kansas City is one long straight line and the highway is surrounded by a seemingly endless flat landscape of fields and farmland. It can be a tedious drive. We were somewhere in the middle of it when we started to pass a semi. As we neared level with the driver of that semi, I started to pump my fist in the air, giving him the universal blow your horn sign. Then the driver honked twice and Michael and I cheered and clapped all while the Cabbage sat oblivious and uninterested in the backseat. I looked at Michael and asked "do kids even do that anymore? try to get the semi to honk?" He shook his head and replied "maybe not."
The other day the Cabbage was telling Michael about a video she had on her mom's phone that she watches to brush her teeth. Michael asked her where she found the video and the Cabbage said "I just asked the phone." The kids growing up today don't even really need to read or write. They can just tap a button and ask a question. Eventually they won't even know how to open a door or a window and they will not know that you can get a truck driver to blow his horn. They will not know that Strawberry Shortcake dolls smelled like strawberries or lemons or blueberry pie and they will not know how to look at a paper map and find anything. For a moment I was a little sad about all the little simplicities that children today would not know, but then I realized I sounded like the old man yelling at kids to get off his lawn. The kids growing up today have Strawberry Shortcakes of their own and their maps are three dimensional with real buildings. Same but not same. I am thankful that I can teach the Cabbage the universal blow your horn signal. Thursday, I did all kinds of responsible grown up things like scheduling doctor appointments and managing finances, which made me thankful for those reminders to think and be like a kid.
We rescued a baby rabbit from the cat Sunday night and Josephine ate half a chocolate easter bunny Wednesday night. The animals are keeping us on our toes and have a thing for bunnies. I'm thankful we were able to save the live one and I'm thankful that Josephine didn't eat enough chocolate to hurt her. Jr, my great nephew, is coming home from basic training this weekend. Everyone has missed his face so dang much. I'm thankful for his return. I am thankful for a box of lemons that Heather sent me from California. I am thankful for a quiet weekend. I am thankful for you.
Here's to a weekend of gardens and chickens and here's to a wonderful Thankful Friday!