“You know I’ve seen a lot of what the world can do, and it’s breaking my heart in two. Because I never want to see you sad girl, don’t be a bad girl. But if you want to leave, take good care. Hope you make a lot of nice friends out there. But just remember there’s a lot of bad and beware. Oh, baby, baby, it’s a wild world. It’s hard to get by just upon a smile. Oh, baby, baby, it’s a wild world. I’ll always remember you like a child, girl.” In what seems like just yesterday, I can remember singing this song out loud while driving both my daughters to and from, well, just about anywhere really. God what I’d give to be able to turn back the hands of time just for one day and find myself behind the wheel of that vehicle with both of my girls with me, and that song comes on the radio. But sadly, that’s not to be. Because now they’re both adults, and I’m now a much older, wiser man. A man who will shortly (like within the next 24 hours) be a grandfather for the very first time. And my baby girl, who is about to give birth to a baby of her own, is far away on the west coast. As much as I wish I was there for the birth, I know she’s in good hands because she not only has her husband there with her, but her mother and his mother are there as well. My turn will come here in a few weeks as we attempt to cycle out visitors, and rotate diaper duty. And who knows?, maybe when I meet him for the very first time, I’ll catch myself singing this same exact song to him? (well, either that one or ‘Baby Shark’?)
You know, I really have no idea what kind of world awaits him when he gets older. Of course as everyone else does I hope for the best, and that maybe mankind will eventually get their shit together and make this a more kinder, gentler and loving world to live in? But c’mon, I think it’s a safe bet that ain’t happening, at least not in this sadly deeply divided country anytime soon? (btw, thank you social media, 24-hour news stations and all our power-hungry politicians for that). Okay, enough of me on my soapbox, there will always be time for that later. Right now all I’m wishing for more than anything is a safe delivery, along with a healthy baby boy and mother. And of course, their happiness and well-being. And a lot of luck in his future life too, because he’ll need that (hell, we all do right?).
Looking back, my own grandfather was the same age as me when I came into this world back in 1963. When JFK was still president, Beatlemania was just taking off in England, and Elizabeth Taylor was queen of the box office (millennials everywhere are now asking “who’s Elizabeth Taylor?”). Which means more than likely, that at this age of mine, there’s a good chance that I probably won’t be around to see my grandson when he finally becomes an adult himself, and begins his own career as well as starting his future family. I just hope that in the meantime before all that does happen, he falls in love with me as much as I loved and admired my grandfather. But not sure that’s even possible, because damn I loved that man so much – and all these years later I still do! So if there’s any sagely advice right now that I can give the lil’ fella for this journey called life that awaits him, and that he is about to travel on, it’s simply this….I hope you make a lot of nice friends out there. But just remember there’s a lot of bad and beware. Oh, baby, baby, it’s a wild world.
(dedicated to Noah James Rives)