Batman Continued
 

This little girl is about three levels up on the play tower. She is trapped by fright. She is afraid to go all the way up to the top where the slide starts, and she is also afraid to go back down the way she came. The damsel in distress starts crying. Her distraught mother is trying to coax her down; first with care and concern, and then by threatening to never take her to the McDonalds' Playland again. "This happens every time I take you here. I'm never going to take you here again!" Suddenly our preschool super hero jumps into action. He scales the three flights of Playland tunnel-stairs and finds the young girl in her perilous predicament. "Hi! I'm Batman! It's OK! Just follow me up to the slide!" No response from the stressed-out maiden. "All right then! Just follow me down the stairs!" Still no response. In fact, she is now looking at our son like he is some kind of a Midwest freak show. Finally, Caleb gives up and climbs back down. I'm thinking, "Of course she didn't respond to you. You didn't have your suit on. You can't expect people to recognize you without your suit on!" The five-year-old girl finally did get the nerve to go all the way up to the slide. I'm guessing she was fearing a second visit from our budding young hero. As I have stated in previous writings, Caleb is constantly bugging me to play Batman with him. When I am able to, I play along with him. I would like to tell all of you that I only do it because I love my son and want to spend time with him. Most of the time, this is the reason. However, I was also a four year old who loved to play Batman back in the early 70's and I must admit that I have as much fun as my boy does. There is one thing I love to do while we play Batman. It doesn't matter what villain I am either. Sometimes I am a traditional bad-guy like the Joker or the Penguin. Sometimes I am the tickle-monster, and sometimes he just calls me the daddy-monster. But regardless of what bad-guy role I take, there is one "trick" that every villain plays on him. In the middle of the "fight" I throw him down on the waterbed, get on top of him, and then plant about a thousand kisses on his face. You should have seen the look on his face the first time I did it. A look of pure shock came over him first. I guess it was the last thing he expected the Joker to do to him. Pretend punches and kicks are something he can deal with. He blocks them or tries to roll out of the way. Pillows sent flying his way can be avoided by ducking... BUT KISSES!! Kisses from his arch enemy!!??? How does Batman deal with that? There is no kiss repellent on his utility belt! After the look of shock passes, another look takes over his 4-year-old face. A look that could only be described as total and outright BETRAYAL! I am guessing the following thoughts went through his young mind: "Daddy, how could you. How could you defile something as sacred as playing Batman by kissing me!" When I planted the last daddy-monster kiss on his chubby cheek, he just laid there looking up at me with that stunned look on his face. He rolled his eyes at me, and then screamed, "DADDDDDDDYYYYYY!!! YOU DON'T GIVE KISSES WHILE YOU ARE PLAYING BATMAN!!!!! Oh, how I laughed... He has since become smarter in his dealings with my villainous kisses during our Batman sessions. Now, whenever I start to kiss him, he points to the Batman logo on his chest, and shoots a Bat-ray out of it at me. "I'm turning you back into the Joker, daddy!" He figures that these lapses back into daddyhood can be reversed by his special Batman powers. I usually play along with him and immediately switch back to the traditional role of the villain, unless I am especially in the kissy mood. Sadly, the Batman costume has seen its last days. We will be retiring it very soon, and most likely replacing it with a new one. In fact we may look for the suit that is based after the Batman movies of today. And hopefully it will be better made this time. But when we do, I will be taking the old, ripped-up, stained, and worn-out suit, and will be setting it aside in a special place. The special place reserved for magical childhood memories...and for things to show his first girlfriend. (Hee hee). And while I realize that these precious times with my children are flowing through my cupped hands like water, I know that in the future, I will take the suit out from time to time, and try and recapture the early years of my kids' lives. When I am done reminiscing, I will place the suit back in its hiding place, but not before rubbing the wetness from my eyes. And I pray the tears that appear there, will be drops of happy remembrance, and not of regret; wishing I had spent more time with my children. Here's one last kiss, Batman... Michael is happily married to his high school sweetheart Kristi, and has two boys: Caleb (4 years old) and Connor (1 year old.) Several of his stories will be published this coming spring and he is working on his first book. He owns a video production business, coaches high school girls basketball, and is the founder of "Straight From the Heart," a free daily e-zine that features inspirational and uplifting stories, often by published writers. To subscribe Email the author. Or Visit Stories from a Father's Heart

Go Back