30 for 30: Part VII

13) Saturday night, we had the opportunity to participate in one of the great fellowship activities that were once a staple in the churches of the Deep South: The Saturday night Gospel Singin' and Fish Fry. If you've never had the opportunity to participate in one of these events, I pity you for having never really lived. Congregants at the Gospel Singin' and Fish Fry can be divided into two primary categories: the music lovers and the foodies. The music lovers just love to hear a good old gospel song and will be at whichever church is going to be having some good live music. The foodies are there for the fish, which are generally the star attraction. One subset of these foodies are the cooks, which are primarily middle-aged and older men. There's a certain level of expertise that's necessary to properly fry fish. Each of these cooks will have his own opinions on the process, quality and variety of fish, and the appropriate number of samples per cook. This is a highly scientific process, and the cooks should never be questioned.

Towards the end of the singing, Joseph started get tired. He made his way towards the front pew where I was sitting and he laid down with his head in my lap while we listened to the final number. As we prepared to dismiss for the fish fry, I spoke to several of the evening's musicians and I noticed one of the men looking at Joseph with a little glimmer in his eye. He told me that he couldn't help but notice me holding my boy and it reminded him of when his son was the same age. His son will go into harm's way as he is deployed to the Middle East in the next few weeks.

14) As he told me about his boy, I couldn't help but think of mine. Today we're playing dinosaurs, tomorrow it will be high school, and the next day I'll have grandchildren. Maybe one day it will be my boy who wears a US military uniform and defends my freedom. Regardless, adulthood is around the corner and the remaining hours of his childhood are fleeting and few. I wonder if I'm making the most of them. Does he get the best of time and attention? Does he find in his father a man worth emulating? Has he seen in me the hero that he can one day measure his life by? Will I be that man, before it's too late? I hope so. That day will come too soon, but tonight I've got a little guy to hug goodnight.