Eight Year Old Boy..............Conclusion

Thought For The Day

We were now seven blocks from home. This was a significant distance, one block farther than our school. We were beginning to feel the reigns loose. We were on our way to a new life. Four more blocks and we came to Gaudreau Florist. We considered only briefly sending flowers to our parents but somehow that seemed to minimize our disappointment in how we were treated by them and so we decided against it. Also, we didn't have enough money for flowers or anything else once we examined our resources. We had crossed Woodbridge, a significant traffic artery, we now were feeling somewhat disconnected from our homes and the initial rush of independence flushed us with excitement. Only a little over 19 miles to go.

The evening was softly approaching and like two puppies we instinctively were looking for a food source. Even we knew that our plan was foundering. But, we were in the midst of an adventure and adventurers can forgo creature comforts if they must. The conversation had slowed to occasional observations of things we had no interest in. The spring in our step was losing it's bounce and both of us were trying to come up with some kind of catalyst. There were no more stores on our route for the next few blocks and so we saw nothing but neighborhood kids and families holding Summer Court in their yards. The barbecues were burning hot dogs and hamburgers and an occasional chicken sent exotic aromas directly to our stomachs. We could have been walking through the kitchen of the Four Seasons.

We were now within a block of the Daniel Theater. That was a pretty far piece for us and what was worse was the smell coming from the popcorn and Tony's was within sight. That did it. We looked at each with sincere apology but an incontrovertible resolve that the runaway was over. We had been sabotaged by our stomachs.

We turned around and headed back to our separate homes and the humiliation of failing at out task. But, what could be worse than not eating? It was OK.

I do not remember much about what happened, but in a few days the whole thing was forgotten by everyone involved. Kick The Can, Hide and Seek, Statue, Twenty Questions and the evening games continued until Labor Day and then, it was back to school and all the pals we had missed during the summer. I would be moving soon to another house and a new neighborhood.. But, the kids would be the same and we would all end up at North School when we entered the seventh grade and started changing classes every hour. It was not the end of anything, it was a continuation of one of the greatest times of my life. The simple, plain, clear view of childhood. What a remarkable gift to be naive, single-minded and fresh. Maybe the greatest gift was to be teachable. There was actually enough trust in the world to allow us the luxury of believing that we could be anything we wanted to be. No kidding, anything.

Herb Ratliff, February 28, 2012, All Rights Reserved