Around my house, there is one time of year when my failings as a parent are most apparent. No, it's not Christmas, when my little bundle of joy receives 619 toys and I spend a week or so adding another walk-in closet to hold it all. Nope, wasn't last weeks basketball game - there were plenty of other dads there that made me feel damn near reticent. Nor will it be this year's vacation travel to another distant land.
No, it's pinewood derby time. Tonight and this weekend - while I am cutting and sanding a small block of wood - I'll be reminded of all the loud and insistent declarations - made confidently to buddies whose kids had become teenagers and had started doing what teenagers do, namely irritating the dog shit out of mom and dad. "Things are going to be different at mi casa" I said, chest sticking out. My kid was going to be his own man, learn to take care of himself early on. Hell, he'd be cutting the grass at age five, fly fishing at age seven, stuff like that. If he wanted to do something, he was going to learn to do it himself.
Big words - all made before feeling the pressure of watching my son place his car on the derby track for the first time, knowing that the cars lined up next to it weren't built by the other boys at all. They were built with scroll saws and high speed dremels and had been designed within certain tolerances. They had survived wind-tunnel testing and had finishes that would bring tears to the eyes of Earl Scheib. This was no kids game - this was Indy at the height of its glory. This was Don "The Snake" Prudhomme vs. Tom "The Mongoose" McEwen. And I'll be damned if my son wasn't going to at least look like he belonged in the race.
So tonight it's back to the workshop, try to turn a piece of pine into the Batmobile. And my boy? Hell, he'll lose interest after a few minutes and head to the other room, watch some Spongebob…
1 comment:
We did the Pinewood Derby a few weeks ago. You're right that none of the cars were likely actually built by the boys, Brit's included. I'd never done this before and just hoped not to embarass ourselves and was successful.
Brit's car finished 1st two times in the four initial races (4 cars racing, change lanes each race) and we made it to the next round. Overall, we were somewhat above halfway of all the participants in overall time. I was happy with that.
Polish those nails, it helps.
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