dudemanflab's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Afternoon with Tyler and Tucker Today Tracy and I took Tyler and Tucker for a walk to play "Bigger or Better." In this game, you visit a stranger's house and ask for a bigger or better object than what you have(We started the boys with a penny), and you hopefully finish with something practical. The idea is to take things that people don't want and pass it on to someone else. But imagine you're having a quiet afternoon after work when your doorbell rings, up to three times. You are suprised to find two little boys at your doorstep who explain this game to you, sometimes in halting terms. Let's face it, there's lots of reasons that could make you not want to give them your junk-- 1. One looks like a bully who picked on you in elementary school, even has the same haircut. 2. Your husband just isn't as good in bed and you're feeling sorry for yourself 3. American kids don't deserve handouts and you hate people asking for things at your door. 4. You were just sleeping, eating, watching your favorite show. But of course, let's also face it, cute kids who ask nicely usually get what they want... except maybe not when its too big, like a pony or a jetplane. Tucker and Tyler begin with a penny and ("Cool!") rubber bands we find on the street. Steve Massey, bless the saint, says, "What's better than a rubber band," and gives them a quarter and a wire angel. Aaron Franco across the street laughs, opens his wallett and blows their minds by pulling out a real dollar bill Crossing Pierce Street, we sing "I gotta dollar. I gotta dollar. I gotta dollar hey hey hey hey," and visit a home by the Tia Maria's. "Look these people love God" says Tyler as they scrummage for stuff in their house. "How do you know that?" I ask. "They have a cross." "And look a picture of God," says Tucker, "A God-picture." Tracy and I are laughing between our attempts to control the boys from breaking things on the porch, when the God-loving couple appears with a Christmas plastic bowl and $1.25 in quarters--bigger and better. Several houses are empty, but no matter because we have $1.25 and a bowl that serves as a drum. Tucker explains to Tyler the premise of "Ding Dong Ditch" and suddenly knockings and doorbell ringings become much more aggressive. Three hispanic kids greet the boys, who place their hands against the doorpane like they're in a cage or a prison phone-room. The dad asks us what we're doing and commands a boy to fetch a toy for the cause. This "t" word causes much rejoicing on our side of the glass. To a child, the word "toy" has almost infinite potential. It goes farther than the object itself and may be some children's first brush with ideals. Our toy is a box that makes noise when you push one of three buttons, and Tucker is easily disappointed. Tyler remarkably insists on being grateful, quoting the truism "Take what you get, don't throw a fit." The mouths of babes... En route to our next house, Tracy and I teach the boys the word "capitalism," to help them grow up properly in the land of the free. Just outside the door, Tyler is getting impatient. Finally he asks, "what does this toy do?" and thinking to make a (somewhat unoriginal) joke, I offer that it measures brain activity, holding it up to his head and pushing a button for noice and doing the same to Tucker. A man greets us, wearing only sweats. He is squat, furry-chested, long haired. Probably just woke up, but he's in a suprisingly jovial mood. "This is a hunter's house" says Tucker. "Hehe..." he laughs, "More like a paintballer's house. What do you guys want? A toy?" (The magic word again) "A stuffed animal?" ("Yes! Yes!"). He brings us a cow, stretched out and lying prone on its belly. The boys are excited and I am for them as we turn to leave. "Paul, tell him what that does," says Tyler. Caught in my lies, I make a split-decision, "Oh, that toy reads... brain... activity." "Great" says the man, "I'll to use it on the people at work." We laugh and leave and tote our Bovine trophy all the way across the canal to 3rd Street and to home. 11:00 p.m. - January 24, 2008 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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