Tossing Salt Presents:
A Day Of Dougie:
Boys Will Be Boys
August 18, 2021
DougMaynard.com

Welcome to the blog. It’s getting late and I need to go to bed soon, but I saw something earlier tonight at Wal-Mart that made me feel good. Usually, Wal-Mart has the total opposite effect on me and leaves me tired, irritable, nauseous, and wanting to punch someone in the face, repeatedly, with a pair of brass knucks and the Hong Kong Phooey Chop. Yeah, that place sucks. And yes, there was the usual assortment of loud people talking gibberish as they scream at each other, people leaving shopping carts in the parking spots bumped up against cars, loudness that some might call music, but I just hear a loud bass and lots of mumbles and profanity, and the people in their pajamas walking around. A typical Tuesday night at the local Wal-Mart to be sure. I was sitting in my truck, listening to Dr. Hook, and people watching while I was waiting for my brother to go inside and get some things.

So there I was just watching people walk back and forth and doing instant life judgments on each person as they walked by the truck as to their personalities, life goals, jobs, parenting skills, and where I figure they’ll be in ten years. Just passing the time and listening to the music. And then I saw them coming across the parking lot.

It was a family of four with a man, a woman, a small girl, and a small boy. The girl was probably 5 or 6 years old and the boy looked around six, maybe 7 years old. And for some reason, the boy caught my attention as they walked by and approached a mud puddle that was in the middle of the parking lot, directly in their path. The man, the woman, and the little girl all glanced down at the puddle and walked around it. For the boy though, it was a totally different story. He saw the puddle and hesitated just for a second as his family walked around. And then I saw the look on his face and knew what was coming. He walked right through the puddle, stomping extra hard as he hit the water with his feet, splashing it everywhere. His parents just looked back, kind of rolled their eyes, reached out a hand and waited for him to catch up. The look of first determination and then happiness on that boy’s face as he stomped through the puddle was something to see. He was the shit and he know it.

And I was watching and could feel a big smile forming on my face as I watched. That was a boy being a boy and he was just making the best of a moment and that puddle was his to be waded through. It was just cool and I was glad I got to see it. Most parents would freak and go crazy if their kid did that and most kids these days are too scared and reluctant to cut loose and just be kids, living for the moment. That kid didn’t care though and his parents, rather than getting upset at their boy being a little boy, just went with it. It was an awesome moment and I’m glad I saw it. It made my night.

And I guess that’s all for now. I need to go to bed so I’m ending this now. Comments, thoughts, and any questions are welcome and appreciated. I’ll see you on the flip side. Stay good. Love you Peeps!

Ubuntu!