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Hold children close to heart [UPDATED]
Published 9:50am Monday, February 13, 2012 Updated 11:51am Monday, February 13, 2012Every time I get in a parking lot with my 7-year-old daughter, I get nervous. I always say things like “Stay near me. There are cars all over the place.”
The story of the 7-year-old boy in Montrose who was killed after being hit by a car certainly confirms my fears.
I was planning on writing my column about my 7-year-old daughter, mostly because so many people say they enjoy it when I write about her, and I haven’t for a while.
The fact is, it’s just as exciting, if not more so, to be a part of her life now than any other time in her life. Face it, when your child is born, it’s a great thing, but they don’t do much early on, other than eat, sleep, and go in their diaper.
They’re also a lot of work, requiring virtually around-the-clock attention.
On the other hand, my 7-year-old daughter can do lots and lots of things — more than I can keep up with, frankly.
She’s in skating, piano lessons, choir and dance. She loves to swim, play with her friends, do artwork, and best of all, read.
In fact, I’m fairly certain that she’ll not only be able to read this column, but she might be able to comprehend it and become embarrassed by it.
She also is relatively independent. She can feed herself, use the restroom by herself, even walk home from the bus stop.
Sure, I have to wash her hair once in a while, but we’re working on that one.
The fact is, she has her own personality, and she has become just as fun to spend time with as anyone else (though she’s getting to a point where she wants to spend less of it with me and more of it with her friends.)
So to read the story about the 7-year-old boy who died just seconds before I started writing this column, well, it’s difficult to swallow.
To say that I can feel for the parents simply goes without saying. To be honest, I don’t want to feel for the parents. I don’t want to connect my daughter to that situation in any way. I don’t want to visualize what it would be like to be in the position of those parents.
I just don’t know if I could handle it.
I want my daughter to be like the 94-year-old woman she and I visited at PioneerCare Center Friday, who still keeps herself busy by doing paintings. I fully expect her to be around well after I’m gone.
She may even be around for the time when they figure out how to dramatically slow the aging process, and she lives longer than anyone could imagine.
I’m just going to have to grip her hand more tightly now.
• • •
There has been some recent discussions about the state of Williams Arena, and whether “The Barn” should be replaced by a new arena.
I would have to say that, based on our experience here in Fergus Falls, it should.
After all, we had our version of a “barn” at the old high school. And having attended events in both the old and new gymnasiums this year, I admit that the new gymnasium is far superior.
There certainly will be arguments about whether Minnesota can afford to build a new arena for the Gophers, and those arguments are certainly valid.
But whether we should keep Williams Arena around simply because of nostalgia, that should be a no brainer.
Having watched a game leaning over because my seat only allowed for an obstructed view, and having spent the last two years attending Twins games at the glorious Target Field, there’s no question that a new college basketball arena would be preferred.
Joel Myhre is The Journal’s Publisher. E-mail him at joel.myhre@fergusfallsjournal.com
