Caught Red-Handed....and In Black and White

Dear Boo and Bubble,

I’ve written before about the parental phenomenon of a “sixth sense” whereby any attempt on a child’s part to engage in an activity of which parents might disapprove is somehow miraculously known to them no matter the precautions the child might take to make sure that this doesn’t happen.  (See March, 2014 – “She Can See You Even When She Can’t See You.”)  Your granddaddy Captain exhibits a great deal of this “sense” – for starters, just ask your mom and Aunt Bee about the stereo.  Sometimes, though, circumstances coalesce in such a fashion that the parent doesn’t even need to exercise the “sense.”

Skateboarding became popular when Captain was a teenager.  He actually made his own board by pulling the rollers off of a pair of skates and attaching them to a piece of wood that he shaped with sandpaper into a size sturdy enough to hold his weight.  For hours, he and his friends practiced on the streets surrounding the neighborhood – Salamanca Ave. and the sidewalks of San Jose Boulevard.  But the terrain was flat and posed no real chance of speed or challenge. The boarders fanned out and pretty soon word spread of a hill that offered a better opportunity for both.  Only problem – it was on a thoroughfare with enough traffic to be a little dangerous.

Great Grandaddy Cot found out about the hill and, with due concern, instructed Captain that he must not skateboard there.  Being a good son, Captain said “Yes, sir.”

Reports came from others about how fun the hill was……. how it really wasn’t all that risky…….c’mon, Tally, just try it once……what’s the harm……who’s going to know…..is your dad going to follow you around?

Captain succumbed to the gibes and rationalized that he could skateboard the hill just once for fun and then he’d never do it again.  He struck out with his buddies and spent an afternoon having a great time navigating his board down the slope, zigging and zagging, trying moves he’d never executed before.  Keeping track of the time, he stopped soon enough to be able to make it back home before Great Granddaddy came home from work.  By the time that happened, Captain was back in his room doing his homework, skateboard safely tucked under the bed.

The next morning, Captain came into the kitchen for breakfast.  Granddaddy Cot sat at the table, sipping coffee and reading the newspaper.

“Good morning, son,” he said.

“Good morning, dad.”

Silence.

“Son…..I thought you told me that you weren’t going to go over to the hill and skateboard.”

“Yeah….um…sure,” Captain sort of stammered a little.

“Are you certain you haven’t been over there?”  Great Granddaddy peered over the top of the newspaper.

  “Well……um…..um….why do you ask?”

With that, Great Granddaddy flipped the newspaper over so that Captain could see.  There, filling up one-half of the front page, with a big, bold headline “Kids Skate Down Thrill Hill,” was a picture of Captain on his board, arms stretched out and wind in his hair, flying down the hill.  

There was no doubt as to whose image graced the picture.  Captain was caught red-handed.

So, once again, boys – remember this.  When it comes to your parents, if you ever think you can get away with something, better think again!