A FUNNY THING HAPPENED AT THE PARK
Monday, August 23, 2021
A funny thing happened.
How often have you said that?
Often, I expect.
That’s how we refer to or begin a story about something that stings a bit, makes a laugh, or is embarrassing – all in a single moment.
This past week, I had one of those moments – a get-together with my daughter, my grandchildren and their grandmother – our first face-to-face in over a year. Readers can, I’m sure, relate to the strangeness of this kind of situation, wondering whether it will feel like old times or surreal – and invariably, it was angst over nothing, like being pre-worried for no good reason …
There were other moments involving burgers, onion rings, fries and milkshakes from Peter’s – seagulls and rain and magpies, a big hill to run up and then run down.
So, what was the funny thing that happened?
In the presence of my grandchildren, I was called Mark. The resulting query from the kids was, “Who is Mark?” because they’d always known me as Grandpa Kolke.
It was a strange moment, a little unsettling – and primarily funny.
Think for a moment, ask yourself, at what age did you learn those given names of your grandparents?
I don’t remember when I learned mine were named Edward and Adolphina. My dad called them Ma and Pa. I called them grandma and grandpa.
What’s your name, and when did everyone know it – when did your kids learn that your name wasn’t mom or dad, when did they learn the given names of their grandparents?
There you go, start your week with a low-stress challenge, something to laugh about and ponder.
Have a great week …