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.

30 for 30: Part VI

11) I had one of my favorite suppers after church tonight. Yesterday at lunch, the family and I joined my parents, aunt, uncle, and sister at a restaurant in Baldwin County. Yesterday's meal: Mahi-Mahi tacos. I like fish tacos and was really looking forward to these. Grilled fish, corn tortillas, black beans, cheese, cabbage, and a spicy crema all combined for a meal that was, in all honesty, just pretty good. Tonight, I had a hot dog and it was divine. I like food, in all its many varieties, but the older I get, the more I'm drawn to simple flavors. Perhaps the problem is that my palate isn't sophisticated enough to enjoy 43 different flavors at one time, but I found myself wanting to deconstruct my fish tacos. Taste bud confusion overwhelmed me. My hot dogs (with chili and cheese) caused no such problems. I know that many of my more cultured readers (who am I kidding, none of my readers are cultured!) may have a negative attitude toward the hot dog, but I'm a big fan personally. I don't know that I could have been more satisfied by a ribeye than I was by my hot dog. Maybe all of that stuff about the simple things in life is right...

12) I've spent a lot of time this week thinking about the issue of contentment. I'm not good at finding contentment. I want to make things better or have more or improve things. Nowhere is this more evident than in my cooking. If a little bit of salt and pepper is good, then a lot of kosher salt and cayenne pepper would be better. When I cook, excess is the name of the game. On the plus side, when I cook we never run out. On the negative, sending me to the grocery store is a nightmare. Suzanne does her best to send me with specific instructions, but anything that catches my eye is up for grabs. I can't begin to tell you how many things I've snagged without my wife's consent. (We have a pack of couscous in a drawer at our house. It moved here with us. I saw couscous on sale and decided that I would cook it. The only problem with this plan was that I don't particularly care for couscous.)

Perhaps I should learn from my excess. Would I do well to enjoy more hot dogs and not invest in the Mahi tacos? Can I embrace the simple tastes and pleasures that I find more fulfilling? Will I learn moderation, after 30 years of roundly rejecting it? These questions and more, to be answered in my next 30 years!

30 for 30: Part V

9) I've got great kids, but they're growing up too fast. Tomorrow will be a big day in the life of the Landry family. With the start of the new school year, Suzanne will be heading back to work, Amelia has begun her day-care career, and Maggie will begin kindergarten. After daycare and preschool at Dixon last year, the moment has arrived and she will walk into her first big-girl classroom. Unexpectedly, we found out last week that Joseph would also be going to "big boy" school. The door opened for Joseph to participate in pre-K at Collier Elementary School and we were excited for the opportunity. Friday, I took Joseph to register, meet his teacher, and see the school. He did great, but I was a little overwhelmed.

Preparation for the school year has caused me to reflect on my relationship with my kids. I don't know that I would classify myself as father of the year material, but I hope that I'm doing a good job. One thing that is certain is that they have my heart. Tomorrow, they go to a place that is outside of the realm of my control. As it turns out, I know both of their teachers on a personal level and have every confidence in their ability to care for and nurture my children emotionally and intellectually. I'm excited for them, but I'm a bit nervous at the same time. How have you parents of adults done it?

10) I guess that letting go is harder than I ever thought it would be. I suppose that tomorrow marks a moment in my children's lives in which they will begin to make their own way in the world. They will begin to establish identities separate from their parents. I'm excited and have no doubts that they will do well. As their father, I'm certain that my kids are the brightest, most beautiful, and most lovable children that have ever graced our planet. I can't imagine them not excelling. I remember going to school once upon a time, though. Someone will be mean. There will be fights, scraped knees, hurt feelings, and subjects that are difficult to grasp. I'd give anything to be able to protect them from all of it, but I can't.

So what can I do? As best I can tell I'm limited to three things:
A) Instruction: What am I pouring into the lives of my children? Have I directed them into paths of righteousness? Am I teaching them the right way to live? Will they know how to treat others with respect and to follow instructions? Will I continue to correct and discipline moving forward?

B) Love: Have I offered my children unconditional love? Will I be willing to love them through listening? When they hurt, will they recognize that they can come to me and experience my love, before they listen to my wisdom? Will they carry hearts so full of their parents' love that they will be difficult to injure?

C) Prayer: I did something I don't usually do with my children tonight. We try to have a regular nightly prayer time with our kids, but this evening I called them to come sit in my lap and told them that I wanted to have a special prayer for them. I laid my hands on those two babies and prayed specifically for each of them and the start of their new school year. This won't be the last time that I do it. Will my children experience God's blessing as a result of a father who is faithful to intercede on their behalf?

30 for 30: Part IV

7)At 30, mowing the grass has taken on a whole new significance in my life. Today, I was excited about mowing grass after work. How did I reach this place? As a young boy, I was fascinated by this activity. As I watched my dad mow the grass, it seemed like a great opportunity to display my mastery over both lawn and machine. Mowing grass appeared to be a very grown-up thing to do. Not long afterwards, I got the opportunity to move from spectator to participant. At 7, I had my first opportunity to operate the Yazoo. If you've never had the chance to use a Yazoo pushmower, you've missed out on the Cadillac of mowers. I quickly discovered that, regardless of the quality of the equipment, mowing is a lot like work. In Bayou La Batre, Alabama, it is particularly hot work in vegetation that could best be classified as Amazonian. I rebelled against yardwork. Not actively, but my passive-aggressive streak helped me to do the job poorly and with a negative attitude. I did the best I could to avoid the task by any means necessary. I also pouted. This inspired one of my dad's often repeated phrases: "You're going to do it and you're going to like it".

I'm no longer a preteen and nobody is lovingly instructing me to get my behind in gear and mow the grass. I'm blessed by a wonderful church where people regularly offer to mow the grass at the pastorium. I seldom take them up on the offer, because I enjoy my time on the tractor. For a few hours this afternoon, I was able to relax and enjoy a bit of time working outdoors and accomplishing a necessary task. What in the world has happened to me?

8) I think that maybe on some level what has happened to me is that I am beginning to understand the concept of dominion is recorded in the Genesis account of Creation.

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28

I grew up surrounded by people who were close to the earth. On my mother's side, the family earned their living off of the bounty of the land. Over the years, I watched and helped as Grandpa raised soybeans, corn, and cotton. At the shipyard, we were dependent on the bounty of the sea to bring in business, and Dad paid careful attention to the state of each season's haul. In south Mobile County, our traditional means of livelihood are closely intertwined with the harvest of the earth and seas.

I've lost most of that connection. My vocation doesn't require it. I don't have a garden and I only fish recreationally. That leaves me with my yard. My only opportunity to exercise dominion over creation and subdue the earth occurs on this plot of land. Hopefully, I've done my part to keep the second commandment to mankind today!

30 for 30: Part III

Part I:
Part II:

5) Life calls for a few indulgences. I really do wish I was more disciplined and I have a great admiration for people who demonstrate a high-level of personal discipline on a regular basis. I attempt to discipline myself and I'd like to think that I do well in certain areas. Today was an ice cream day, however. I volunteered to help with supper tonight and made a quick trip to Greer's to pick up a few things for the meal. Upon exiting the store, Suzanne called to remind me to get Pedialyte for Amelia. You see, after Suzanne had an appointment today and Maggie got a cap on her trip to the dentist, Amelia was diagnosed with a nasty case of hand, foot, and mouth disease. I headed down to CVS to pick up the Pedialyte and came to an important realization: My family needs ice cream tonight. As luck would have it, the Edy's was on sale, so we got ice cream. After supper, Maggie and I sat down to share a bowl of dulce de leche. It wasn't all that great, but I'm a firm believer that the only bad ice cream is that which is not found in my bowl. Tonight, my daughter and I shared a few moments of bliss. It was a waste of money and a waste of calories. It kept her up past her bedtime. It was completely worth it and I plan to do it again soon. I hope that I will embrace a more disciplined life in the days ahead, but I also hope that there will always be room for ice cream.

6) I wish that reality tv would die a quick painless death. Others have said it more eloquently, but I'm deeply saddened that my children will never know what a regular tv show looks like. As I write tonight's observations, the Food Network is playing in the background. I love the Food Network, but I would give anything if they would get rid of all of the horrible "competitions". I don't need to see anybody else make a big overly decorated cake or cupcake tower. I don't care about any of the interpersonal drama that gets "cooked up" (so punny!) on the show. I'd like an entertaining and informative look at where food comes from, how it can be prepared, and/or places that it is served. Also, Guy Fieri looks like Ed Hardy has decided to produce its own line of middle-aged men who are trying too hard to be edgy. But, I digress. People like Martin Luther King, Jr. had really important dreams, I just dream about a world without reality tv. Is that too much to ask for?

30 for 30: Part II

If you missed part I you can click here to find out what's going on

3)This summer has helped me realize the importance of the weather. As a child, I never gave much thought to the weather, as it usually came in four varieties: hot and wet, hot and humid, cold and wet, or cold and humid. Mom made sure that I was dressed appropriately for whatever situation arose and my only concern was whether or not the weather would prevent me from going outside to play or not. As a teenager, my interest in the weather increased ever-so-slightly. By this time I (mostly) dressed myself, but was in the fog of adolescence that prevented me from caring about staying warm or dry. No, my interest in the weather was a consistent prayer for rain. Exceptionally bad weather would mean that football practice might be cancelled or moved indoors. A rain-out at work would mean a day off. For those of you familiar with the weather pattern of south Mobile County, I'd find myself sitting in math class during Spring training while we experienced a miniature reenactment of the Deluge outside. Hoping beyond hope that practice would be called off or moved, I would watch in despair as the rain stopped just in time for the start of practice. Not only were we able to practice, but we had the added benefit of doing it in sauna-like conditions. At one point during my junior year, I found myself thinking that if I could just land in the right spot I might be able to take a quick swig from the mud puddle and stave off Death for a few more minutes.

At 30, which I am, as of today, I pay a lot more attention to the weather. I'm not exactly sure why, though. I don't farm or have a garden. The extent of our greenery are the two ferns on our front porch. Regardless, I found myself paying attention throughout our most recent round of drought, counting the days and praying for rain. Maybe this was empathy for those most affected, or perhaps I noticed that all of the grass was dying. Regardless, this would not have bothered me 10 years ago. I'm also interested in the tides. I don't fish all that often, but when I do, I try to take a look at the tide tables and I'll happily report on the phase of the moon and discuss the rising and the falling of the tide. I'm not all that sure what it really means or what in the world it has to do with fishing, but I feel much more knowledgeable when I do. My attempts to discuss things that I have no comprehension of will probably merit another point in this series.

Regardless, I wonder why the beginnings of middle-age have brought on a weather fascination? Will I soon find myself watching the Weather Channel? My wife used to do this. Is that as weird as I think it is? To this point, I've only found it acceptable to watch the Weather Channel during Jim Cantore's hurricane coverage. (Life rule #1 if Jim Cantore is reporting from anywhere near you, seek shelter immediately) It's not a real hurricane party if Jim's not on the tube. Is it possible that my priorities are shifting towards weather-related items? Maybe I'm more observant than I used to be. Friends and readers, will this get worse with age?

4) Item #4 is somewhat related to item #3: The rains will return again. We've been through a little drought here, south of Highway 90. For any of my readers who are not from this area, Highway 90 is the dividing line for Bayou La Batrians. If you live north of 90, you're a Yankee. We've had the driest summer that I can ever remember, marked by lots of hot dry air, all through May, June, and the first half of July. After many weeks of waiting, worrying, and praying, an amazing thing happened: it rained. And it rained, and it rained, and it rained. I'm sure that we've not caught up on our rain yet, but the last two weeks have certainly helped. Things seemed to last forever when I was a child: waiting for Christmas or the end of school, getting my driver's license or leaving for vacation would just never come. Unpleasant situations, poisonous relationships, and broken hearts felt like they would never mend. I just knew that whenever that endpoint would come, then everything would be OK. I've discovered an important truth: It all comes around eventually and the new day will carry it's own troubles. I'm thankful for people who are walking the road ahead of me, because I'm blessed by their wisdom. As often as I told my Dad "I can't wait for..." he would always tell me, "Son, don't wish your life away". He was right.

The rains will come again. Vacation time will be here before you know it. You'll be married soon, then your kids will be grown, and you'll be retired. Don't wish it away. I hope that I've got plenty of years left to enjoy and use this life to the best of my ability, but time will march steadily towards its conclusion whether I'm ready for it or not. My hope for the next 30 years is that I'll spend less time waiting for the rain to come and more of it making the best of the days of drought. God, grant me the grace to trust your mercy to make the days of waiting days of joy.

30 for 30: Part I

In which my readership indulges my ramblings about whatever happens to pop into my head at the moment...

1) Birthdays are funny things. I'm not sure why we place so much emphasis on the passage from one year of life to the next or the significance of the move from one decade to the next. I was born on July 30th, 1981 at Mobile Infirmary, the first child of Claude and Kay Landry. I was named after both of my grandfathers. The choices were Joseph Clinton or Dillard Claude. I'll let you figure out which one they chose. None of us gets to choose our birthday, but if I had been born a day later, I could have shared my special day with Harry Potter (7/30/80). Instead, I'll have to share my birthday with Arnold Schwarzenegger (7/30/47), Sid Krofft (he of HR Puffnstuff fame 7/30/29), and Lisa Kudrow (7/30/63). On a personal note, I share a birthday with my favorite TV chef, Alton Brown of Good Eats fame (7/30/62). The only famous person born on 7/30/81 was US Women's soccer star Hope Solo. Clearly, as a July 30th baby, I'm in good company.

2) Apparently, no great portents heralded my entrance into the world. According to Wikipedia, exactly nothing worth mentioning happened on July 30th, 1981. After a little bit of research, I found that BB King was the special guest on Johnny Carson. Much of the world was tuning in to watch the video of Charles and Diana's little wedding in the UK from the day before, the search had just begun for 6-year old Adam Walsh after his kidnapping and subsequent murder from a Sears store in Hollywood, FL, and Dawda Jawara was deposed as president of the Gambia. Apparently, my arrival made some difference in the world, as Major League Baseball ended its strike the next day and within 36 hours a few thousand cable subscribers in northern New Jersey were able to watch an MTV that featured actual music videos.



Exit thought: Based on the video evidence, the 80's were strange but wonderful times.