When I was 6 years old, I remember my mom bringing my little brother home from the hospital. It was a big hubbub. I think, looking back, that some family members were amazed my mom didn’t lose this baby. My sister had died just three months before and it was very traumatic, obviously. So the new baby was a bit of light in the darkness.
Mom had gotten home while I was out playing, so I didn’t see her come in. Several relatives were over to see the baby, there were a lot of cars parked out front. I went in the house and they were all talking – I was not on their radar – but, finally, someone said, “Would you like to see your little brother?” I went down the hall to the bedroom at the back of the house where mom was ensconced on the bed with the baby in her arms. He was very little and, even though he was awake, his eyes were scrunched up tight. Mom let me put my finger in his palm, which he grabbed tight. That is always the coolest thing when a baby does that. Then mom gave me a reassuring hug and I was ushered out of the room by I don’t know who. That baby now has a blog which you can see here.
I went back into the living room where some of my aunts and uncles were sitting. One of my uncles said something like, “So whadya think?” What I thought was that I wanted the baby to look at me, which he didn’t do. So I asked, “Why doesn’t he open his eyes.” That’s when one of my uncles said, “When they’re first born they can’t open their eyes. Just like dogs and cats can’t open their eyes when they’re born. The light would blind them if they opened their eyes.” My six year old self didn’t take that as a joke because no one laughed. So that’s how, until I was 9 or 10 years old, I believed new born babies could not open their eyes at birth because their eyes were too sensitive and they would be blinded by the light.
Over the years I have listened to people and ended up believing for a time that...
1. When human beings died they became angels.
2. Monsters were in my closet.
3. All people are basically good.
4. Money was handed out at the bank based on some mysterious merit system.
5. I was born with certain natural abilities that would allow me to do certain things without really having to work at it.
6. As long as I was dedicated and worked hard, I would succeed.
7. Broccoli was created genetically in a lab by combining cauliflower and cabbage, and this was done by the Broccoli family, who later went on to produce the James Bond movies of the 60's and 70's, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. (Stop laughing at me.)
8. A friend would always be a friend.
See . . . I’m basically a trusting person. It gets me into all kinds of trouble.
1 Thessalonians 5:21
Peace to you.
© LW Publishing 2010
Ahh yes, the Broccoli family. You know, I had an uncle that knew them. ;-) But on a more serious note, I'm totally with you. So many things I can look back on from my childhood and realize things just weren't the way they were painted. Funny enough, it's somewhat of the subject of my latest blog entry. No coincidences. True fact.
ReplyDeleteI was reading this light-heartedly until the last thing you beleived...and I almost choked up.
ReplyDeleteThat's some good writing, my friend.