Points2Ponder By Alan P. Scaglione

Sometimes, you just can’t get there from the sidelines- You have to get involved, jump right in, get wet! A little water never killed anybody!

That’s what I told myself when we took Jett to the water park this past Saturday. His parents had a family responsibility and asked if we would take Jett. And the answer was, “how long can I keep him?” Was planning to take him somewhere wet. And watch him from the sidelines. That’s what most adults do, right? Take the child, let him play in the water but…just wave and shout from the sidelines. not like you’re going to get out there, in the middle of it all, where all the kids are playing and…get drenched! Well, we all know by now..I’m not most adults, am I?

Nope—JettJett was determined to get in the middle of it…and take his Nano with him. He was smiling the whole time we were out there playing in the shooting, dancing water fountain. It wasn’t until we started to leave, that I realized, “Hey, I really AM the only adult out here, getting drenched, playing WITH my grandson, not just yelling from the sidelines!” I smiled-  I was proud of myself. Somethings you just can’t participate from the sideline—you gotta get drenched!

POINTS2PONDER  Why can’t we play like we did that summer? You know which one! When we were kids, sliding down that Slip-n-Slide!

Jett spied a “little kids” park adjacent to the waterworks, and he screamed, “Nano, play!”

You know what I love most about that? He knew I would!

So we walk in, and I let him run around. There’s a slide. Jett loves a slide! As soon as he gets off, he looks at me and says “Again!”

 Then he sees it—the Teeter Totter! You remember that? You may call it a SeeSaw!

 Jett runs with all his might to get on and then looks at me. This kid already knows—he’s gonna need a partner for this!

I put him on one side, and Jett points—yes, he really did! He knew-- unless I got ON, he was going to be sitting in a seat on the ground, so…he knew who had to play with him!

HIS NANO!

So, I had a couple of choices. I could do like most adults(remember—I’m not one of those) and stand next to it and use my hand to make the teeter totter teeter!

OR….I could … embarrass myself in front of all those sneering “sideline adults”, with their look of disdain and whisper of disapproval. Judging me!

You see the picture…was there ever really any other choice?

My wife took the picture, all the while shaking her head in disapproval. Guess you DO need some adults on the sidelines—who else would take the pictures?

He laughed and laughed every time he and his Nano teetered on the totter! And then, it was over!

Without batting an eye, he looked at me and said, “Nano, Water, Play!”

And we ran back to the water park, where the water fountain was shooting up from the ground, drenching a hundred little kids… and one Nano!