Sam saw his first real movie the other day in a real theatre with really stale, really salty popcorn. (No explanation necessary if you grew up in America and not under a really big rock.) Ah, the authentic movie experience! I can’t remember my first flick, but I’m positive I was much older than three. Kids these days, they grow up so fast, don’t they?
I don’t really remember going much of anywhere until it was time to get on the big yellow school bus. Well, back in the day there really wasn’t much of anywhere to go — no train table at Barnes & Noble, no story time at the library, no mall, no Kindermusik classes, no Little Gym, no CMoR, no Short Pump train ride, no Stony Point sprinklers, and no bouncy houses, to name just a few.
How in the world did we (and our poor parents) manage to survive during those primitive times before car seats, jogging strollers, and monitors? (Well, it wasn’t all that primitive — we did have a station wagon with wood paneling on the side.) I suppose we were forced to call upon our imaginations and actually entertain ourselves, there being no Disney Channel or Hannah Montana on a gargantuan flat screen TV to do it for us. I shudder at the thought. Maybe that’s why today’s parents want to get out of the house even more than their kids do — residual cabin fever. It’s a theory anyway.
Anyway, back to the fledgling movie experience a la Sam Macky. He was all fired up to go see “Surf’s Up,” had his little box of popcorn, and climbed up into his big stadium seat at Commonwealth 20. And the movie started! Sam sat back, smiled, and munched away for a good two minutes before hollering, “I’M DONE WITH THIS MOVIE!” I shushed him, gave him a squeeze, and went back to watching the penguins do some surfing. (What in the world? I must be getting old. )
Anyway, another minute passed, and I thought I was home free when Sam bellowed even louder, “I’M DONE WITH THIS MOVIE!” He was done all right, so I was done, too. It’s a package deal like that. Thank God the movie was free thanks to the generosity of Commonwealth 20! Let’s hear it for Commonwealth 20!
I thought about trying to make him stay, but why? It was supposed to be a fun thing for us to do together, not a session in How to Sit Through Something You Don’t Like. He’s got the rest of his life for that. So we left. The funny thing is that he talked for days about what a great time he had at the movies, even telling our pediatrician about the penguins surfing. I guess he did have a good time for those three minutes, so good for him. Thus, I consider it a success! Hooray! May this be the first of many movie in your life!
LibbY