When my oldest went to first grade, I followed a suggestion I’d seen in a parenting book and wrapped her lunch with pretty purple paper tied with faux pearls to make her feel special. I waited with anticipation all day for her to come home and report increased joyful self-worth. She
came home, but there was no big bonding moment. I didn’t want to bring it up first, but finally couldn’t wait any longer so I asked, “Well….” with a twinkle in my eye. Blank stare. After a little (actually a lot) of coaxing, she finally realized I was asking about her fancy present lunch. Then this child who is still pragmatism personified said, “Mom, it was just food.” Bit anti-climactic, but it did show me that if I had simply stopped for a moment to truly assess the situation, I would ha
ve acted differently. That would be good advice for the characters in Mike McClintock’s
A Fly Went By. Everybody is freaking out and running from the thing behind them because of what they perceive as malice, ruining the quiet lakeside nap of Calvin’s 1950s twin. As it turns out, if the first one to run had been a bit more discerning, everyone could have chilled out. My daughter wasn’t impressed by the lunch, but she did carry an ornate (and cheap) bronze plant hanger I had given her around for weeks--because she thought it was the key to the Secret Garden. You just gotta pay attention, I guess.
When my oldest went to first grade, I followed a suggestion I’d seen in a parenting book and wrapped her lunch with pretty purple paper tied with faux pearls to make her feel special. I waited with anticipation all day for her to come home and report increased joyful self-worth. She came home, but there was no big bonding moment. I didn’t want to bring it up first, but finally couldn’t wait any longer so I asked, “Well….” with a twinkle in my eye. Blank stare. After a little (actually a lot) of coaxing, she finally realized I was asking about her fancy present lunch. Then this child who is still pragmatism personified said, “Mom, it was just food.” Bit anti-climactic, but it did show me that if I had simply stopped for a moment to truly assess the situation, I would ha
ve acted differently. That would be good advice for the characters in Mike McClintock’s A Fly Went By. Everybody is freaking out and running from the thing behind them because of what they perceive as malice, ruining the quiet lakeside nap of Calvin’s 1950s twin. As it turns out, if the first one to run had been a bit more discerning, everyone could have chilled out. My daughter wasn’t impressed by the lunch, but she did carry an ornate (and cheap) bronze plant hanger I had given her around for weeks--because she thought it was the key to the Secret Garden. You just gotta pay attention, I guess.
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