Life in Eight Seconds... or Less
What do talking with a toddler and riding a bull have in common?
One of the few endearing aspects of social media that I enjoy is when (unsolicited by me) it provides me with the memories of what I shared in years past. Like this little gem that I originally published to my first blog site, aNoteFromDad.com, in March of 2015. Now 18 and 16, my boys were 7 and 5 at the time of this first iteration. And to be completely honest, even as teenagers, our conversations often play out in eight-second bursts that leave me wondering what just happened.
Some of my most deeply thought-provoking, meaningful, and life-altering conversations with my boys take place in less time than it takes to win a championship bull ride. They start with an open of the gate, and whether I’m ready for the ride or not, we’re off and running. Sometimes I’m able to dig in, hold my ground and ride that bull for the whole eight seconds, leaving a small nugget of truth in their hearts and minds. Most times, (which is more often than I care to admit) the gate is opened when I least expect it, and that bull bucks me off with his opening line. Take last week as a prime example:
5-year old Shane: (watching a toddler half his age walk past him…at church, no less!): “She has a cute butt.”
“Ummm, wait…wha…?” He gone. Down the hall in the opposite direction, I didn’t even have a fightin’ chance.
Any trip in the car tends to be one bull ride after another…
5-year old Shane: “Dad, firemen are not afraid.”
“Uh, yeah bud… I’m not sure I agree with that.”
“No! Firemen cannot be afraid.”
“Yeah, we can.”
“Wait, you’re afraid?”
“What makes a firefighter different from everyone else is we’re a little afraid, but we go in anyway…because someone has to. There’s nothing wrong with being afraid of anything that can kill you.”
“Fire can kill you?”
“Yes, son. It can.”
Turning to his brother, he’s gone…off to the next thing.
Two minutes later from his 7-year old brother, Nathan:
“Dad?”
“Yes sir.”
“If you want to dig for oil, do not…because you might blow up.”
“Wha…”?”
Aaaaand… he gone! And I’m left lying in the dust wondering what just happened as that bull runs off to join his brother in the next thing.
Last week Shane was literally walking circles around a friend at church. I had to know… “Dude! What are you doing?
“I’m mooning him.”
“You’re WHAT?!”
“I’m being his moon.”
“Well, alrighty then.”
I noted this conversation in December of 2018 when Shane was 9.
Cheyenne: “Don’t forget your suspenders.”
Shane: “Good call. I need to keep those with me all the time in case we have a party I didn’t know about.”
Me (after a double take): “Wait, what?!”
Shane: “When we have a dance party, they look jazzy, dad!”
That’s our life. Eight-second bursts of attention that take every ounce of my concentration just to hold on as if my life depends on it. Can’t say, if given the chance, I’d change it for all the sanity in the world. Life…eight seconds at a time.
For the record, any “cute butt” comment coming from my 5-year old warrants a follow up conversation. Apparently, she had cute little flowers on the seat of her pants. Aha! So, the pants. The pants are cute. Not the butt. Well, okay then. I can live with that.
Until next time,
Stay sharp. Aim true. Make an impact. Create a legacy.
— Jason