Thursday, January 27, 2005
Through the Eyes of a Parakeet
Hailey Marie, with her first attempt at "Phins Up."
Parrotheads come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and preferences. Some like chicken, others like steak. The newest Parakeet on our ship's crew, Hailey, seems to favor peanut butter and jelly above all else. Yep, she's my granddaughter. This pirate is staring at 50, and 50 is staring right back. I think 50 is winning that staredown, actually. I raised a family of Parrotheads, and I'm proud of 'em. Now along comes this one, and teaches me all over again how to appreciate kids. Hell, if I knew how much fun a grandkid could be, I would have just started out with one. Everything is new to her. A trip to the backyard swing set, a walk to the mailbox, or yet another reading of "Jolly Mon" is an adventure. I wish I could be like her, to see this world through her eyes. It must be amazing. She finds humor everywhere. I have this remote controlled "fart machine" that she adores. She likes to "sneak up" and hide it behind you, then squeeze one off and laugh like it's never been done before. OK, so I do that, too...... She's also nuts about slapstick. Just fake running into a door and falling on the floor, and she laughs so hard, I wonder if I need to administer oxygen. I think I'll get her some Chaplin films, and the two is will sit there one evening, laughing ourselves into oblivion.
I guess that's the most common thread between Parrotheads: Laughter. A childlike love of life and the living of it that's unsurpassed by any other group I know. Always seeking an adventure in a trip to the mailbox. We're growing older, but not up. And we prefer it that way.
P.S. My spell checker didn't recognize "fart," suggesting "farad" as a replacement. The pinheads who set it up have obviously not heard the news.
