I am again humbled at the speed of time. Here we are at Paul’s 10th birthday. Just “yesterday” he was just a rolly, polly little tike hyperventilating as he considered the thrill of trying to walk 3 feet.
So much has changed.
He is far more athletic than say at age 6. Physically, he is still sinewy as last year; and mentally, he is an abstract thinking lad. More importantly, he is pretty much fearless. He will try new things, stand up to an opponent in soccer or basketball games, get in front of his class to share his POV, and do so with a smile. I have hundreds of game photos of him, in the throws of a soccer game, big Cheshire cat smile on his mug. Even his coaches will raise this – “the one thing about Paul, he is always enjoying his time on the field.” We should all hope for this outcome when we are immersed in combat, no? Actually, it must be a bit unnerving to engage him.
And his somewhat introverted ways shield him (so far) from worrying too much what others think. I would have never realized introverts carry this advantage without seeing him in action. He undertakes a course of action because, well, he wants to; other opinions don’t have much gravity. (How do we preserve this way of thinking?)
Computers and him have some manner of intersection. Two weeks ago my mobile phone rang. This is Abe, I said. “Dad, it’s me. DId you know you can make shapes in Microsoft Word? Like triangles and boxes? It is amazing!” If that rocked his world, you should have seen his reaction to “Track Changes” in Word. “Wow! That is amazing! I have to use this!” Really? What, in your homework? Are you pulling my leg or does this really wind you up?
Paul’s dramatic manner of viewing the world is articulated elsewhere also. “Dad, it rained so hard today, it felt like the whole world was weeping!” Today I say more prayers of thanks for such a treasure wafting its way into my life.
Paul @ 10, © 2012, Abe Pachikara (Click for larger images)
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