Fantastic. What a great day to be off from work. Skies are blue, not a cloud in site. The sun is out in full force, super hot and electrically charged. I didn’t have to mow, paint my deck or put up six levelor room darkening shades.

Come on now, it’s 99 degrees out with a heat index of 108 degrees. Nope, no around the house projects. My “honey-do” list for this guy at the moment. My list was complete.

The day was mine… almost.

Instead I have the enjoyable pleasure of spending the day with Jackson, my six year old grandson.

At 8:00 AM after we delivered Grammy at work (she gets Jackson on Friday), it was off to Bagel Masters, our longtime favorite bagel shop. Jackson ordered his customary blueberry bagel smeared with cream cheese while I had my egg-everything bagel with a skosh of butter. We devoured them in the car on our way to … the beach.

By 9:15 we were on the beach, towels spread in the sand, 50 SPF applied to the tender six year old skin and our feet in the cold but very refreshing Atlantic Ocean.

As an adult, there is no pussyfooting around. You just have to take a running start, hurdle whatever breakers possible and take the plunge, head first.  Brrr… I was in. 

For the next three hours, it was swimming, bogie-board surfing, burying bodies in the sand, playing tag on the beach, everything I haven’t done oh for probably thirty years since my kids younger. Dang I miss those days!

We left the beach 12:30 and picked up Grammy from work and brought her home for lunch (my wife works 3/4 of a mile from home),

When lunch was over and Grammy had to go back to work, she dropped Jackson and myself off at the park. I carried the Coleman cooler of water, the Razor scooter, bike helmet and my phone. Jackson, well you know how much six year-olds carry … zero!

We ran up, down, in and around that Jungle Jim for a good hour. I think six year-old energy is infinite. Or so it seems. I was relieved when another car pulled up and three young girls exited the vehicle. Ages appeared from five to eight and they were sister because each wore the identical summer dress and clogs on their feet and hair pulled and braided the same. 

An immediate magnet enveloped the four of them and I was off the hook. Hallelujah! Oh by the way, I didn’t mention the three girls were black. Funny how kids that young don’t see color as an issue. Seeing that made me smile. I wanted to take a picture of them with my phone, but second thoughts kicked in, not knowing how the mother (who remained in the car, loudly talking on her phone) might react seeing a white man taking pictures of her kids. 

The time came when Jackson was done with the playground and ready to head home. And off we went. Jackson on his Razor scooter and me, running behind so he wouldn’t get to far in front. I haven’t run in at least five years. But I held my own, even in loafers … and sockless! 

Remember earlier I wrote the heat index  made it feel like it was 108 degrees? I could attest to that while running the 1.4 miles back home. It … was … hot!

My legs were calling me to stop. My t-shirt soaked in perspiration clung to my torso. My kind said stop but my heart told me to go for it. Get your ass in gear, JohnnyMan. 

I made it. Barely. Climbing my front porch steps was challenging. All three of them. 

Jackson and I entered through the front door. Walked through the house and immediately exited the back sliding doors and headed for the pool. This is where we stayed until 6:00 when Grammy called… “Children, pizzas ready. Time to get changed for dinner.”

Jackson and I responded simultaneously, “Okay, Grammy. Ten more minutes.”

“BOYS!”

In summary, Jackson and I spent the entire day together, outside. We did the beach, the park and the pool. No one got hurt, not even a scratch. Here I am, 69 years of age and almost, almost matched him stride for stride. 

The difference is, I’m exhausted. He’s not. I guess it would have been easier going into work. But it sure as heck wouldn’t have been as much fun,

Thanks Jackson for a great day!

Love you,

Poppa