MY SON THE TEAMSTER

=| We all worry about our kids.

If you don't, I'm worried about YOU.

~

That's mine, right, with a slip of the dog that is now Regal Cerberus of Fairview, Mofo or somesuch, about 110# of the smoothest moving Rottie you'll ever see ~ wind over the wheat, he is. And such a serious young dog ...

Not that I have much to worry about anymore - the 'kid' is near 40 and been on his own since he escaped the educational system which truncated every opportunity he had with just one Magic Word ~ dyslexia! Handicaps are indeed externally-imposed, and dyslexia is Exhibit A. It is a Teaching Disorder, not one of Learning except insofar as public institutions seem incapable of Learning that dyslexia is not related to one's so-called Intelligence. Dyslexics are not Disabled except to the extent the Systems they find themselves within are Unable.

He ran a 'Party Store' as they're invariably called in Michigan, selling alcohol to the swills near the Enormous State University ~ say there, young Master Criminals reading this, forget about doing a Bank - the Real Money is in liquor stores.

[Shhh - don't tell 'em every liquor store clerk in America is packing and would love to blast some punk though the potato chip rack]

Got out of there on to UPS docks before he drilled anybody - the 9mm. on his fannypacker was a poor substitute for a real security system, but served in a pinch. Did five full years there to get in line to bid a truck route, which he got and has held for another dozen or so years. "Never called from jail, have a Real Job ~ what more can you possible want?" he asks.

Got a point there.

Teamster is not a small person. Close to 6'6, maybe 220, strong as two ox with a cho dan in a particularly efficient Korean karate, he's not to be trifled with. Also has a mean streak, like he needs one. When you say you don't want to "cross him" you better be thinking in terms of picket lines too. He hadn't been driving long when Teamsters went out on strike. Concerned about job security if replacements were called in, he went around to all the part-timers on the docks who would be offered those jobs as strikebreakers. "You cross my line, I break your ..." 'Pencils.' Let's call 'em pencils. He was gonna break their pencils (plural). On his locker today is a picture of him with his arm around Hoffa Junior, his International Prez, both beaming.

This of course he told me some time thereafter, thank the gods. He has an official "Don't Ask / Won't Tell" policy about his wayward past, whatever there is of it, and I'm greatly relieved. I don't want him asking me too many questions either. Looks like he turned out okay. These days he's got a live-in, a bubbly PhD candidate ... The Doctor & the Truckdriver. They're landscaping the yard, raising 'Gus' (as i insist on calling my grandpuppy) and apparently enjoy each other's company a great deal. I'm happy for him. He's a Good Kid.

Wanted to give him something Significant to mark this year in his mind ~ both of us going through some Changes, and I think I'm on pretty rocky ground with him. I think I was a Good Enough parent, albeit not by a lot ~ his standards are apparently higher. We don't do xmas, generally just exchange simple gifts, but this year I decided to give Art. Soon as I saw this piece I knew it was something that would hang well on him. Seemed a little pricey at first but I'm regular customer and purchase is generally just the act of handing Vendor the piece, sometimes months after conversation first began of it. I'm happy with the price on the tag ~ and he never fails to take a pretty good chunk off after I've bought the piece. No quibbling ~ I prefer to reach Understandings. This was pretty painless. Pendant is about 4" silver w/ mark, shaped around an 'antique' walrus ivory harvested by Inuit, a controlled trade. Piece is hand-carved stack of four Wolf Heads by an aging Cherokee/Choctaw who has somehow found his way to this form. Have to find out who he is, and more about him. Saw a similar stack of Bears by same hand ...

Teamster will have to find out for himself what the the Pack can teach him.



= 23 Dec 08