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Friday, September 17, 2010

Unblogging My Brain Part I: Problems with Hurricanes



So my twins had this birthday party last weekend. Which put them in harms way. It put all of their birthday guests in harms way.


You just never know when twelve twelve year old's jumping on a trampoline simultaneously might end in a trip to the ER.


And you just never know when twelve twelve year-old's engaging in a massive air soft war might put someone's eye out.


(I've seen A Christmas Story.)


Fortunately we took proper safety precautions and danger was averted.



Until we were inside the house opening presents.


See I'm the kind of irresponsible mom who allows her kids to engage with bite size candy bars without wearing safety goggles.


I underestimated the damage that can be done when twelve twelve-year-olds begin launching Baby Ruth bars at each other projectile style, within short range.


Yes, there were tears. And fears.


Fortunately in the end, all twelve twelve-year-olds left the party with their eyes intact.


There's a moral here. There's a definite moral. And it's best spelled out through this funny, yet poignant poem I used to teach called Problems with Hurricanes by Victor Hernandez Cruz:


A campesino looked at the air and told me:
With hurricanes it's not the wind
or the noise or the water.
I'll tell you he said:
it's the mangoes, avocados,
Green plantains and bananas
flying into town like projectiles.

How would your family feel if
they had to tell The generations
that you got killed by a flying banana?

Death by drowning has honor.
If the wind picked you up and slammed you
Against a mountain boulder
This would not carry shame
But to suffer a mango smashing
Your skull or a plantain hitting your
Temple at 70 miles per hour is the ultimate disgrace.

The campesino takes off his hat—
As a sign of respect toward the fury of the wind
And says:
Don't worry about the noise
Don't worry about the water
Don't worry about the wind—
If you are going out, beware of mangoes
And all such beautiful sweet things.



Ain't that just like life? Sometimes you have to sweat the small stuff.




13 comments:

Just SO said...

Sounds like you needed to keep them in the body armor for the whole party. Happy to hear that no eyes were lost. And I love that poem. I would hate to be killed by a flying banana! Wiser words were never written.

(Oh and love the Tears for Fears reference.)

I am LoW said...

So very stinkin' true.

Welcome to the Garden of Egan said...

Did the twins both have their birthday or just one? Just curious.

I lub you by the way.
Glad they didn't have to come to the ER with eyes poked out with bite-size candy bars. What would the parents think?
Of course, the nurses would have mocked you.

robin said...

I love the poem! It sounds like a party my husband would dream of having so I won't tell him about it because of course... someone would definitely end up in the ER and that somebody would be... ME. I'm a magnet for things like flying mangoes and bb's.

Barbaloot said...

I never went to parties that cool when I was 12! Being a girl can be so lame sometimes.

Susan said...

Anyone with sons completely understands that poem. I love it. Maybe I'll get vinyl lettering and plant those words on their bedroom wall.

The Songer said...

Loved the poem! Who would of thought that such delicious fruit could be so deadly embarrassing! I will never look at a mango the same again!

Happy Birthday to the twins!

How did Lulu react to all the 12 year old commotion?

TisforTonya said...

I think I need to frame that poem for my kids... love it!

and obnoxious birthday parties are remembered forever... tame it so last year :)

P.S. - I think Lulu's been messing around on the blog... WV says "growl"...

Shelle-BlokThoughts said...

Sounds like a blast. You're cool enough to plan a party for a 12 year old... I'm pretty sure I'd be a big FAIL!

Sigh... I'm ready for a party.

And now I need a BabyRuth

Jenny P. said...

Baby Ruth candy bars are my absolute favorite of all time.

The end.

Nutty Hamster Chick said...

Personally I would rather be killed by a banana than a boulder, just sayin.

Braden Bell said...

Hahahhah. As a child of the 80s I loved the tears for fears reference. And as a recovering OCD/Anxiety person, I am happy to have my deep-seated fear that you do need to worry about small things confirmed.

WV: bactice :ineffective practice in which you simply reinforce bad habits.

Mariko said...

Tears for fears! HA! Just remembering them is funny, right?

And I love that poem.

Where's the REST of this story? The ER part? Sheesh.

Also, I think you should read the Compton kid's blog. I think you would love it. taleoftwoteenagers.blogspot.com

Anywho. Miss you. Aren't you going to come visit? Eventually?