John Y’s Musings from the Middle: An Amazing Person?

I may have been just another schmo at work. But at home I was a master and maestro to my children at every new activity. Or seemed to be.

I remember blowing giant bubbles for the first time in our backyard that amazed both my children and made them feel like their dad wa…s truly special. I seemed to just “know” how to blow giant bubbles effortlessly–something new to them. They felt proud and believed, deep down, that their dad was probably a better bubble blower than any of the other dads on our street. And maybe in our entire neighborhood. Heck, that day I felt that they believed I was probably a better bubble blower than any dad anywhere.

It was a good feeling. Even though I knew I was probably just a little above average at bubble blowing.

Now our kids are 16 and 20. And they know how to blow bubbles and fly kites and draw in the sand and go sledding and they even know all the grown-up tricks to win at hide-and-go-seek.

And I’m just not as amazing a person as I used to be. I just feel like I’m out of tricks. And pulling a quarter out of one of my children’s ear would just irritate them and make me feel cheap for only pulling out a quarter for them instead of a dollar bill.

Maybe it’s time for a David Copperfield-esque mega magic trick where I make something amazing disappear.

And then I realize that something amazing has already disappeared.