Da Goddess

Like Desperados Waiting For a Train...

Since my son's birthday party occurred at a park that was also having a train song festival on the same day, and because the park also has a train depot - complete with an old steam engine, it just so happened that we were the beneficiaries of staged train robberies, shoot outs, interesting people, and wonderful music throughout the day,

While Greg and I were setting things up for the party, Little Dude was with his dad, gathering up the last minute things his dad had been charged with getting. As time approached for the party to start, some of his friends had arrived and new people for the train fest were showing up. Amongst the new arrivals, a group of mean, dirty, no-good, gun-totin' varmints. Yep. A new set of bandits.

As the bandits walked past our table filled with goodies, the one growled, "we just might have to come back and rob you of that cake and those presents!" I laughed and told them to come on back anytime and join in the festivities. They looked as though they might benefit from a little kindness and I'm fond of bad boys in a perverse sort of way. I also told them that the birthday boy would get a kick out of it. He'd be along soon and I knew he'd love to see them up close.

I don't know if you've gleaned from some of what I've written that I'm a friendly sort of person (in most cases), but, I tend to be even more outgoing when I'm really busy and when I'm doing something involving kids. I end up talking to strangers - which I always tell my kids not to do. I end up finding out things about people that they probably wouldn't tell their shrinks. Things like that happen because I'm open to a wide variety of experiences when I'm in "the zone." Yesterday, I was in the zone.

Since I hadn't structured most of the party, the kids had a blast running around, climbing trees, and playing with the beach balls I'd brought. They also had fun watching the train get robbed over and over again. Following the train robbery, there'd be a showdown between the sheriff and the robbers. The gunshots drew the kids like flies to cow......well.....you know what I mean. They loved it!

Once the majority of people had departed, I began to clean up and took some of the extra pieces of cut cake, loaded them in a box, and began the walk over to the train depot. At the same time, I saw some dastardly, filthy, dynamite-carryin', horse-thievin' outlaws walking toward me. Those were the guys I was after! I greeted them with smiles and offerings of cake, juice boxes, and balloons. They laughed and smiled and thanked me for my kindness. And, they came and joined the remaining party-goers. My son and daughter had been taken for a train ride by my dad and the men had said they'd like to stick around and wish my son a happy birthday. The rest of my family and the ex and his mom gathered around listening to the guys tell tall tales and crack jokes. As the train, with my kids, came chugging by, the bandits waved their frosting covered forks at the passengers. My son and daughter sat there with their mouths hanging open and the rest of us laughed.

When the kids were walking back to the party table, the men asked if that was my son and I said yes. They started off after him. They yelled his name. He stopped. You could see that he wasn't sure what was happening. One man threw Little Dude over his shoulder and carried him back to our stand of trees. Another fellow told my son he was on trial for unspecified crimes against the town. Little Dude would have to answer some questions, and answer them correctly, or be hanged. My daughter pulled her brother close and whispered in his ear that she'd help. My son just stood there with the most perplexed look on his face!

Needless to say, Little Dude narrowly escaped his hanging and was handed a bullet by the meanest hombre for his brave answers, wrong though they were.

I wasn't sure there was a way to top the party and the fun that we'd had with the other kids, but this great group of guys made the end of the day something we'll all remember.

Good people are all around me, it seems. Forget the packaging. One way or another, I end up finding them and getting a chance to get to know them. I always end up richer in spirit because of this, and so do my kids. You never know what you'll find each day. But, I can tell you this: talking to someone you've never met gives you the opportunity to make a new friend. (Unless you're LeeAnn and you meet the guy with the "Jesus Finner.")

Once Greg has a chance to hook the camera back up to his computer, we'll redo all the photos I'd edited last night.