Reflection on D

EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to the A to Z Challenge, an exercise in self-flagellation we bloggers inflict upon ourselves to teach us discipline as writers and to build audience. During the month of April, I’ll be posting 26 times, once for every letter in the alphabet. Looking on the bright side, we can each be thankful this is an English language exercise and not Khmer, the language of Cambodia, which sets the world record with a 74-character alphabet! After some misgivings, I’ve decided to proceed with my initial idea of blogging about the special people in my life whose names begin with the appropriate letter. There will be difficulties, like having more than one special person whose names begin with the same letter, forcing me to choose. And then there are those letters — O, Q and X among them — where no name springs readily to mind. What will I do then? We’ll have to wait and see!

Danny isn’t even 8 yet, but he’s already got most of it figured out.

D is for Danny

Since my official initiation into the world of geezerdom in 2008, I’ve been stacking up grandkids pretty much like cordwood, but there’s something about that first stick on the pile that will always be special.

Oh sure, I know he can be a handful sometimes, but mostly that’s because Danny has a brain that never stops, and it’s the way his mind works that gives me hope for the future.

Maybe he will be a great inventor. He’s been hard at work on his own designs for years:

Danny has plans to advance meteorological research with a machine, left, that produces tornadoes for study in the laboratory, and a second device, right, constructed from titanium, that will provide early warning “in microseconds” in the event of a tornado in your vicinity.

It’s not all work and no play for Danny, as this motorized boogie board clearly indicates.

While all that is impressive enough, it’s Danny’s Philosophical Sayings that really give me hope. His parents have been recording them:

Danny: “I hope I never become an orphan, because I don’t like porridge.”

or

Danny: “I don’t like going to the library because it is too quiet for me. I like more funny-business and bamboozling.”

or

Danny: “I am going to call you Wonder-Mom.”
Mom: “Aw, thanks, Danny! Is it because I’m wonderful?”
Danny: “No, it is because you are good at wondering.”

or

Danny: “Old people have tiny brains. They like to eat turkey and watch lots of TV. Then, when they get 70 or 90 and their brains get too tiny, they die.”

or

Danny: “Mom, you still need to get that eyelid polish, or whatever you call it, off your eyelids.”

or

Danny: “Hmmm . . . how do I explain this to a 36 year old?”

or

Danny: “Dad, you didn’t put any money in the basket.”
Dad: “I know. Mom and I already gave money to the church this month.”
Danny: “So, the church is just getting greedy now?”

or

Danny to a Donald Trump supporter: “Why would you want to vote for someone who only likes white people?”

You know, I’d be proud of any kid with such a worldview, but the fact that this one’s my grandson is icing on the cake. Whether he becomes an inventor, a philosopher or something he hasn’t even thought of yet, I think Danny is already making our world a better place.

Me, with my first grandchild, Danny a few years ago. I feel good about his future, and the world’s future with him in it.