One of those looks

I realized as I was about to post this article that I just started my third year of blogging; before that it was simply called writing. I read about fellow bloggers getting burned out or getting their priorities out of whack and closing down to regroup. “Balance, Daniel san, balance in all things” as Mr. Miagee would say in the Karate Kid movie. I hope to keep my balance and entertain myself for a long time; if anyone else happens to enjoy it, well that’s even better.

I finished watching the movie Parenthood a while ago, one of those shows that gets better the more times you watch. It’s an interesting mix of brutally honest and delightfully funny that’s hard to appreciate without having experienced parenthood firsthand.

Lucy was about to have one of our children, I think it was Jennifer, almost positive on that. I walked with her past the maternity waiting room and noticed a fellow, WWII generation or there about as he had the same number of deep furrows in his forehead as my own father. I could tell that he was looking me over, kind of checking the oil of the next generation as I walked with Lucy and smiled; our own pending addition getting closer by the moment. There was the briefest of eye contact between us and he nodded approvingly; I could imagine him saying, “Now there’s a young man doing the right thing, carefully taking care of his pregnant wife, raising up a family here in these United States of America.” I have a pretty good imagination; but he might have been thinking something else, just my opinion the way he nodded and smiled.

Lucy was led away to a room where they kept track of vitals and the nurse told me that it might be a while so I returned to the maternity waiting room where I was met by my partner’s wife. Sharon was about 8 months pregnant as she gave me a friendly hug and I noticed the change in that other fellow’s countenance, definitely soured as I returned the hug carefully. I could hear his thoughts clear across the room, “One’s not enough, you had to knock up another one; you rotten no good philanderer.”

We sat and talked on the other side of the room for a while before Lucy’s sister showed up to lend support; Barbara was about 8 months pregnant too. We all hugged and Barbara was happy to meet Sharon as they compared pregnancy notes. I glanced over at the older fellow; pure disgust had consumed him as he walked out of the room shaking his head and muttering to himself. “The whole damn country’s gone to hell in a hand basket…” or something.

I have a warped sense of humor and if I’d had a Book of Mormon I’d have walked over and asked if he’d ever read the book; probably just as well I didn’t. I just grinned back at him as he hurriedly exited the room.