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March 22, 2006
Fatherly Stress
Samson is 8-years old today and decided we should go to McDonald's for breakfast.
Those of you unfamiliar with Hilliard, Ohio weather may be surprised to find it snowed ever so lightly yesterday. Just enough to melt from snow form to water form which allowed it to immediately turn to ice form.
Haydn, on crutches and still recovering from knee surgery, was out of the van first. I helped the other two get out of the van while he started toward the door.
What happen next happened in real-time -- that is, not in slow motion as in the manner that life's more traumatic event pass -- so I should have realized right away things were going to be OK. However, worry suppressed everything I knew about movie special effects and I was thrust into worried-parent mode.
Haydn was not using good crutch sense as he motored forward. He is supposed to approach a curbed sidewalk and stop with the crutches at the curb. I can't remember if the crutches move up first or if the good foot moves up first, but I am certain that a person is not supposed to carelessly fling himself forward over a curb onto a sidewalk. Especially where ice is involved.
Haydn was kind enough to demonstrate the foolishness of such a move.
He slipped and hit the sidewalk on his side. He started screaming.I know it hurt. I felt horrible. Someone in the drive-thru lane stopped and asked if he should call an ambulance; I thanked him and assured him we were OK.
A gentleman stepped out of McDonald's and asked if we were OK -- he was wearing a Franklin County Children's Services Jacket. Had I been Tim Allen, Jim Belushi or Ray Romano in any of their respective sitcoms I would have probably been hauled off to jail; as I'm not I was pretty sure my, "I think were OK" was going to be enough to keep The Man from locking me up.
The McDonald's people checked on us. I told them we were OK, that the fault was all ours, and that we didn't possess the 'suing' gene. I immediately felt bad for making that joke.
Toward the end of breakfast I asked Haydn how he felt. "I'm embarrassed," is all he said.
Ah. Only 12 and already a typical man. I think he'll be fine. (Just to make sure I made the necessary calls to his surgeon's nurse ... It's all part of being super dad.)
Posted by delmer at March 22, 2006 2:28 PM
Comments
Happy Birthday, Haydn. He probably got up faster than I would have even on his crutches.
Posted by: Rob at March 22, 2006 6:12 PM
I would've cried like a ninny. He's a tough little guy.
Posted by: The Phoenix at March 23, 2006 10:11 AM
We went to Micky D's on Friday -- our regular trip there -- and Haydn opted to stay in the car. When I asked about it he said he was still embarrassed.
I'm pretty sure he'll get over it. Eventually
Posted by: delmer at March 27, 2006 11:10 AM