The Country Mice

You know that office supply store commercial where the happy dad pirouettes, swirls and waltzes his way down the aisles, with the ebullient Andy Williams crooning in the background, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”

I’ll spare you the details but — that ain’t me.

Homeboy starts at a new school today, new books, new friends, new duds.

The soul of a prep-schooler dwells deep in his heart and when university days beckon I’ve little doubt he’ll check for dress code on the application form.

The new school demands an extremely lax variation on its students’ sartorial symmetry.

And to provide some context: The official school sport is Ultimate. That’s Ultimate Frisbee, my friends, that flat disc spun thru the air by legions of blonde Californian surfin’ dudes. The official school sport. No field hockey here. Nooooo. This is the island, mon.

A vociferous lobby for longer hair is in my future, I’m sure.

Moving right along.

So what’s exactly transpiring in these photos, you ask?

Well, with the new school year under way and the new school clothes out of the bag and on to the body, some documentation was required.

The photographic equipment was duly hauled out while the Princess determined some sort of ante-convocation ceremony was required.

His diploma (in fact, his not-so-prep school clothing order form), the requisite flower and his mortarboard. At the time of this photo she is searching for something to use as a tassel.

She really scares him, sometimes.

Mortarboard and tassel, ready to go.

But she still has another plan.

And of course, none of us ever knows where her little brain is speeding.

Wha?

Remember? she asks.

Remember how they always hold a teddy bear when they want you to smile?

Okay, now. Smile!

She really is good for the soul.

Pure clown and good for the soul.

But I still wonder where she came from.

Your children are not your children.

Kahil Gibran knew what he was talking about.