A funny thing happend on the way to the game department in the store yesterday. Me and the techno-tot wandered in to get a hair cut and I told him we would go look at toys. He has some early birthday money from my Dad so of course, being four, it is burning a hole in his pocket. So I told him we had to be good boys and get a hair cut and we could go look.
Well we were indeed good boys, got our ears lowered, and off we went. On the way, we saw a huge display. On one side was a big Barbie House, on the other was a big Thomas The Tank Engine play set. He stopped and stared. So I knew where this was going and just stood there, waiting. He had to check out Thomas! He was really excited and kinda doing the hopping from side to side like a kitten does when they get excited.
Then he went around the other side and was checking out the Barbie house and he had that calculating look on his face. You know the kind of face a vaudeville actor would make, very dramatic and easily recognized by the audience. If he had a goatee, he would have been stroking his chin...
He looks at me and says, 'Dad, I need the cell phone.'
So being the curious type, I said sure and handed him the phone, wondering where this was going. Sure enough he flips it open in a style that would make Captain Kirk proud and pretended to dial. This was his end of the conversation..
'Yeah Santa, I have a question for you. I am in Wally World and there is this huge Thomas play set and I want to get that for Christmas. Can you put that on the list? Oh and right next to it is a doll house and Olivia would really like that too. She doesn't talk yet, but I know she would really like that so I am asking for her. Add that to our list please, thank you.'
He hands me the phone and says ok, lets go look at flashlights. I was stunned. You know back in the Fashioned Challenged Seventies I wrote a few letters to Santa, put a stamp on em and mailed em at the post office. I had no idea Santa took list requests via cell phone? And how did the tot get Santa's personal cell number?
So me being me I asked him why he didn't just email him. The tot says.. 'Well the email system is down and don't ask, but the text system is acting weird. So we can just call him until they get the servers online.' I was stunned.. say what? He was so matter of fact about it, like duh Dad, dont you know anything?
Apparently not.. the generation gap due to technology has left me holding stock in the buggy whip company and looking lame. Good thing the techno-tot knows what he is doing or I would be even more clueless then normal.
On the way out the door I had to explain, in detail, what the lady with the bucket and the bell was doing. Once he figured it out, he says you have my change from the flashlight in your pocket, put that in the bucket ok? Sure thing, you bet.
Regardless of technology and all the other differences, there is one constant. The one thing that has not changed is the magic, the spirit of the season. It is still about giving and doing for others, and the little guy has that down already. He just uses a cell phone..
