Conquering the Mountain...

In the 1986 classic movie Stand by Me, there is a scene where one of the boys gets caught in a junk yard and narrowly escapes an attack by the feared junk yard dog. In the movie the junk yard owner calls out to the dog, Chopper sic'em, but the boy, his mind clouded by fear, hears the owner say Chopper sic balls. Sometimes we let our fears control our minds.

 

I was a ten year old boy when my fear controlled my mind. So much so that the events of that day remained with me for the next 25 or so years. I was at Disney World in Orlando Florida standing in line to ride the roller coaster, Space Mountain. It's a coaster that is inside a large building, and Disney does a wonderful job of creating a Space atmosphere on this ride. It's pitch black inside, you can not see the track in front of you, and you have no real idea where the curves and hills are coming from. And it has haunted me for nearly all my life.

 

As a young boy, standing there, I knew I would hate it. I was petrified. But I heard my dad say, Oh don't be a sissy. It won't be that bad. Now maybe my dad said something like it's ok if you don't want to ride it, it's no big deal. But just like the boy in the junk yard, my mind heard something completely different. So I had to ride it.

I screamed the entire time. I may have even cried. I held on for dear life. I just knew that with each turn and hill I was going to fall out of my car and plummet to my death. I could hear my father as the police investigated my lifeless body below the tracks. At least he didn't chicken out.

A few minutes later it was over, and I was spent. Yes I had made it. I didn't die, like I thought I would, but I also didn't feel better for riding it. I didn't feel like I accomplished anything, or that I was brave because I rode it. I hated it. It was five minutes of pure hell. A hell that stuck with me for a long time. I didn't ride roller coasters or much of anything else after that experience. I was truly traumatized.

Last Saturday, now a grown man, I stood in that same line, and relived those memories. Once again I had that nervous feeling inside my stomach. I was standing just a few feet away from the very thing that had started it all. And once again, I had to ride it.

It was still just as dark as I remembered and the hills and curves were still just as surprising as when I was ten. The bar that strapped me in felt more snug and I didn't bounce around on this night like I did those many years ago. I looked around more and noticed more of the Space atmosphere this time around as opposed to closing my eyes and putting my head down. I remembered my dad and the memories of that vacation from when I was young. Finally, it was over, much sooner than I remembered. And this time, I actually felt like I had accomplished something. And I didn't cry nearly as much.

 

J-Tony

The Giving Tree...

credit

 

One of the things I've learned over the last few years is to take advantage of the teaching moments with my clowns. There are times throughout the week that provide perfect opportunities for me to truly be a dad. To explain to them how to be strong, brave, polite, kind, and compassionate. Not that I'm not a dad all the other times of the day/week, but those aren't the times they'll remember. It's the teaching moments that make them who they are. That shape them. After all how many times have you said, Dad used to always say. Or my dad taught me, blah, blah, blah. Those are the moments I look forward to. Those are the moments that make waking up at 4 in the morning with a sick clown worth it.

Yesterday, as I pulled into the driveway, my two youngest were outside climbing a tree in the front yard. I watched as my son climbed, swinging from branch to branch with the look of triumph on his little face. He'd made it. Victory was his as he'd fearlessly climbed as high as he possibly could.

A few hours later I revealed to my six year old son how when I was a little boy, I never climbed trees because I was to scared. Afraid to fall.  Without missing a beat he looked up at me and said, well, you can't run from your fears dad. Never give up.

J-Tony

How to name your child.....

Ok so you know how they say you should always know a good joke. You know just in case you're asked on the spur of the moment or something? Well somewhere through the years I heard this one and it just stuck with me. While it may not be something I'll repeat in mixed company, it is funny.



One day, a little Indian boy had a question about his name.

Little Indian boy: Dad how do we get our names?

Father: "Well, you see son, when the child is born the father looks out over the horizon and names the young child after the first thing he sees." "For example, I am sitting bull, and your sister, she is running stream. Why do you ask, Two Dogs Fucking"?


Zing......


J-Tony