What a Steel!

The vacation from which I have just returned was the best I have ever taken. There was so much to enjoy and so much that I loved about it. I experienced the thrill of parasailing, something I have marveled over for quite some time. I remember being in Ocean City and seeing the big parachutes in the air over the water, wondering how high up the people were. In the Bahamas, the water is clear. It is magnificently unclouded by anything, except the fine sand. It is so fine that you can not even see the grains. I compare it to Squand, that sand that is solid under water, but regular and dry out of it. It is so soft and smooth.

Anyway, the time came for my mother (who says she's afraid of heights) and I to get hooked up to the line, which was connected to the boat. We stood on the platform in the ocean, with some apprehension. We were all hooked up and we exchanged a glance of shock with each other. We semi-collected ourselves for the last time and then we were on our way up. Both of us thought we would be freaking out the whole time, but there was no time for that. There wasn't enough time before we were up to worry about anything. We just looked in awe at our surroundings- the see-through water, the endless horizon. We could actually see the whole entire island of Grand Bahama, which is only seventeen miles wide. We saw the other side and it was spectacular. When we returned to the platform, we could not believe what we had just done. Four hundred feet up in the air over water may not sound exciting, but it is and I highly recommend it.

The second best experience in the Bahamas was meeting the entertainment at Coconuts, the outdoor bar/sitting place. There had been a band there the previous night and they were OK, but not the best. This time there was a two-piece band with a drum set and a steel pan drum. Being a drummer/percussionist, I was immediately intrigued by the two. I was amazed at the steel pan. My mom went over to talk to the man behind it, Davie. I then heard my name being called. It was my mom and I went over to where she and Davie were talking. Davie asked my name and how I got started with drums. He then handed me the mallets, (which were just short sticks with rubber tips) and my whole face lit up. I could feel it. I just started whacking out some notes and it didn't matter what it was, anything sounds awesome on a steel drum. That was amazing. The drummer then stood up and handed me his sticks (which were regular drumsticks) and I took a seat behind the set. I played some standard beats because I couldn't really think of what to do. I was in such bliss. It sounded better than what I played on the steel, I'm sure, but the steel stood out. All this time, I had an audience. There were a good number of people sitting and mostly drinking. I did not care if they were paying attention at all, I had the best time. Now, I really want a steel pan.

While in Disney, before the Bahamas, my step-brother and I were wandering through Innovations. I think that is what it was called, maybe Innoventions. Anyway, it is a part of Epcot that has somewhat futuristic things to do sponsored by various companies. Most of the stuff though, is just really neat, like Segways. I got to ride on one and that was really cool. One area was done by IBM, the computer company. Their set-up was a video game, where you were the star. Small booths took our picture while we ran, jumped, and danced. Then we went over to an arcade machine and started playing. It was really fun, and you can even play it here. While waiting for a spot to do all this, the line lady who stood at the entrance of the area said, "Just a minute, then you and dad can go to booth number four." I didn't quite know how to take that. I hadn't shaved in a few days, so I did have some stubble, but not a lot. I couldn't really feel it, anyway. Apparently I look like I could have a son who is almost twelve. That means I would have to have been six or seven at the time of birth. I laughed and we just went into the booth.

Today, I was walking with my younger cousin who was riding his scooter around the block. Let me just say, I love that kid. He is hilariously funny. He makes the most random comments and does some really funny things. We went around the court and then on the way back down the hill, he fell off his scooter into the ivy in the neighbor's yard. I think he was exaggerating just a little bit, but I asked him if he was alright. He said "Yeah, I just tripped over this," pointing to a crack in the sidewalk. It was all good and we started towards the corner, then turned left to go up the street. About halfway up the hill, I told him to start over to the other side, so we walked across the street. He started to get a little pace, but he was careful and he kept his foot on the brake. A little ways down, he fell off again. He was on the ground this time, unlike the first spill. I asked him if he was OK and this time he wasn't. I knew it really was not that bad, so I ran over to him goofily. He started to laugh and he showed me his knee. "Now, you look like me," I said, showing him my knees, which had been beat up from the bottom of a pool. There was a lady on the corner who was spraying weeds. (That sounds good, a lady on the corner with weed. Let's try that again.) There was a woman from the house on the corner who was spraying weeds around her yard. (That's better, right?) She saw my cousin fall and asked if we needed a Band-Aid. I said, "No, we're right up here," gesturing towards my house. She said "OK," and we started for the house. A few steps later, I heard, "Happy Father's Day!" I turned back and thanked her and laughed to myself.

This was twice in one month that someone thought I was a father. I had the same amount of facial hair as last time, so that wasn't what made her think it. At least this time, my "son" was younger; he's only five. That means that I was thirteen when he was born. I find it all very amusing, but at the same time, perhaps a little scared. There are people out there that think I could be a father. I am very honored by this, of course, but I'm just eighteen now. Hopefully, when the time comes for me to have my own children, I can be a great father to them. I pray that God gives me all the skills necessary to be a great one. Happy Father's Day to all the real fathers out there and to the future ones, too.