Holding His Hand (929 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 1.9 on 48 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by nitty (View user info) at 2008-07-29 15:20:25 EDT
I remember being 10. When I was a child, we spent two weeks - every summer - at the beach. I learned very early in life the value of having a few dollars in my pocket during those vacations. So right around the time the weather began to warm in the Spring - after the Christmas spending and the family birthdays - I began to save. I did miniscule chores around the house, sweeping the garage and emptying the trash cans, and counted the dollars in my bank as I counted the days until the drive down.
At the beach, having walked the half mile from the rental house to the small beachfront strip, an ice cream cone from Yum-Yum's in one hand and a brown paper sack from Crazy Sam's in the other, full of fireworks I'd bought with my own money. I remember standing under the pier with my cousins, lighting bottle rockets and black cats and seeing how big a hole a firecracker could blow in an aluminum can. Inhaling the first few precious breaths of adolescent freedom....that was a pretty cool place to be.
I remember being 18. On a travelling baseball team bound for England, we counted the minutes through the takeoff, flight, and landing, awaiting the moment we'd arrive in a country with no real drinking age to speak of. We rode by charter bus, covering miles of a foreign country, stopping to play ball on lackluster fields against overmatched opponents. Baseball was a relatively new sport to the teams we played, and the time spent postgame drinking dark beers with our hosts for the evening far outweighed the enjoyment of that day's 9 inning contest.Riding that bus, playing those games, meeting those men....that was a pretty cool place to be.
I remember being 22. College was wrapping up in a matter of weeks, and for most of my friends and I the last semester of our senior year was nothing more than a formality. Bullshit classes to remain full time students, with the highlight of the final semester being a Spring Break trip to Cancun for 12 of us, the 12 who had hung out together since Freshman year, with the occasional drop and addition that occurs among all groups of friends.
Taken from the movie 'Heat,' we were a 'Real Tight Crew,' and did most everything together. The best night of that trip was the night we decided not to go out. Not to go clubbing. But just to hang out at the hotel bar. Sitting on the white sand beside the bar that served 24 hours, we told stories of years gone by, did shots of extremely nice tequila, and we drank goodbye to that chapter in our lives. That was a pretty cool place to be.
I remember being 27. On a business trip to Ohio, invited to play golf by a customer, I was suprised when I followed his car down the long driveway of Firestone Country Club. My first time on a true PGA Championship course, the South course, I walked the same fairways and putted on the same greens as Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods.
I birdied the 'Monster' 16th - a 600 yard par 5. I changed in the same locker room as legends, and had my shoes polished to a shine they'd never before known, not even fresh out of the box. Sitting in the Men's Only clubhouse that overlooked the 18th green after the round, my customer bought me Johnny Walker Blue Label - on the rocks. A $60 drink, I argued that it was way too refined for my rudimentary tastes, but my wedding was a few weeks away and thus he insisted.
Sitting there in that clubhouse looking over that immaculate course and drinking the likes of which I'd never had - before or since....that was a pretty cool place to be.
And now I am 30. I've partnered to start my own business, which while promising is still a point of heavy stress in my life. My house is under a perpetual state of remodel, and the grass needs to be mowed. My surroundings are scattered daily by the play of a soon-to-be 2 year old who looks exactly like me. They're cleaned up, and scattered again. My beautiful wife is 2 weeks away from little nitty #2, and we pray he's everything as wonderful as his big brother has been thus far.
There is a toddler bed in a crate in the garage that has been there for 6 weeks, and it's looking like I have about 14 days to assemble it so the crib can become the ceremonial first hand-me-down. The crib. Nighttime.... Every night, little nitty #1 gets fed, bathed, and we read stories. He's at the age where he's a little too old to fall right to sleep, and a little too young to not be scared of being alone in his room at night. So while he lays in the crib he will soon bid farewell to, after prayers and before he dreams, he says - simply - "Daddy, hold hands."
And I do.
I lay on his floor, and try to position my wrist through the crib slats to where I know it won't pinch me too much, while at the same time won't make too much noise when I slide my hand out once he falls asleep. Lying there, listening to him breathe, while his tiny, strong fingers grasp mine.
At this point in my life, that's my favorite place to be.
User Reviews
Submitted by Comfortably_Numb (user info) at 2008-09-04 10:43:35 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Congrats on the second child. I just had my first a couple months ago. I am also about 5 miles from Firestone CC as I write this.
Submitted by TigerLilly (user info) at 2008-07-31 14:38:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by The-Armed-Samurai (user info) at 2008-07-31 05:56:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
No Comment
Submitted by redskieslookfake (user info) at 2008-07-31 03:58:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
*nods*
Submitted by czwij (user info) at 2008-07-31 03:41:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
dude, you'll be holding that hand til seven years old.
not too smart. trust me, i know well enough
Submitted by Judgement (user info) at 2008-07-30 15:16:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Replen (user info) at 2008-07-30 14:28:27 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Cyrus (user info) at 2008-07-30 13:14:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Well done
Submitted by shadow (user info) at 2008-07-30 10:32:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Berty (user info) at 2008-07-30 08:43:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by MudWhistle (user info) at 2008-07-30 08:14:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Berty (user info) at 2008-07-30 07:53:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
blah blah blah
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couldn't the same be said about your long winded reviews?
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Yes, and when I do it it's cute.
Submitted by woolfe (user info) at 2008-07-30 08:38:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
i remember when your posts used to be good.
Submitted by orphelia (user info) at 2008-07-30 08:17:20 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
HAHA@below
Submitted by MudWhistle (user info) at 2008-07-30 08:14:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Berty (user info) at 2008-07-30 07:53:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
That's great and all but this is kind of like masturbating in front of a mirror.
I've never managed to do that, it's just too weird and grim looking. Is jerking off in the mirror, or perhaps whilst filming yourself, a sign of mental fitness? What if I ask someone else to jerk me off with a mirror in front of us? Is that less odd? It is, afterall, basically the same thing.
Perhaps I judge masturbating in front of a mirror too harshly. Perhaps we should ALL masturbate in front of a mirror sometimes.
Perhaps we should make today MIFOAMWednesday.
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couldn't the same be said about your long winded reviews?
Submitted by kefer (user info) at 2008-07-30 08:02:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Berty (user info) at 2008-07-30 07:53:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
That's great and all but this is kind of like masturbating in front of a mirror.
I've never managed to do that, it's just too weird and grim looking. Is jerking off in the mirror, or perhaps whilst filming yourself, a sign of mental fitness? What if I ask someone else to jerk me off with a mirror in front of us? Is that less odd? It is, afterall, basically the same thing.
Perhaps I judge masturbating in front of a mirror too harshly. Perhaps we should ALL masturbate in front of a mirror sometimes.
Perhaps we should make today MIFOAMWednesday.
Submitted by MudWhistle (user info) at 2008-07-30 06:54:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
....fucking dusty in here....
good work bro
-Jersey Redneck
Submitted by ICO (user info) at 2008-07-30 06:19:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
A 32 review +2 streak. Commendable.
Submitted by sexualchocolate1984 (user info) at 2008-07-30 05:29:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Ok now that made me broody.
Real nice.
Submitted by Scy_fy_junkie (user info) at 2008-07-30 03:56:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Nice rating.
Submitted by Stagger_Lee (user info) at 2008-07-29 23:07:15 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by experima (user info) at 2008-07-29 22:47:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
got me all teary too
Submitted by Blinkish (user info) at 2008-07-29 22:44:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by rob_berg (user info) at 2008-07-29 21:43:45 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Just plain awesome.
Submitted by Badlands (user info) at 2008-07-29 21:25:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Seriously...This is why I used to read posts here.
Submitted by lungfish (user info) at 2008-07-29 20:21:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I damn near cried. Fucker.
Submitted by cocaine (user info) at 2008-07-29 19:46:56 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
aw geez, man.
Submitted by Badlands (user info) at 2008-07-29 19:02:49 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by LadyPlural (user info) at 2008-07-29 17:37:39 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Almost, but not quite, sappy.
Submitted by Ducky (user info) at 2008-07-29 17:35:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Nitty, what a beautiful post.
Submitted by orphelia (user info) at 2008-07-29 17:26:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Sacrilicious (user info) at 2008-07-29 17:21:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I have tears in my eyes. Happy now?
(Obviously, you're happy now.)
Submitted by triangle_man (user info) at 2008-07-29 17:17:52 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
goo
Submitted by Fey (user info) at 2008-07-29 17:15:50 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Lib (user info) at 2008-07-29 17:14:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
My baby turns 23 in a couple weeks. Truly the best time of your life is when they are so small and cuddly.
Good read.
Submitted by monkeyswithguns (user info) at 2008-07-29 16:55:20 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by skrapmetal (user info) at 2008-07-29 16:23:27 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
We each define success for ourselves. You seem to have a better grasp of that than do most people.
Well done.
Submitted by Shlongy (user info) at 2008-07-29 16:03:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
IS THIS SICO AGAIN...STEALING SOMEONE ELSES UBER NOM?
STFU Sico
Submitted by myshit (user info) at 2008-07-29 16:02:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Love the picture.
Submitted by kovalevmk (user info) at 2008-07-29 15:59:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Nitty and Sideburns are the best writers on here by far.
Submitted by HateMudkips (user info) at 2008-07-29 15:48:24 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
i'm not crying i just have something in both of my eyes.
Submitted by Darth_Famine (user info) at 2008-07-29 15:47:56 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Linus (user info) at 2008-07-29 15:42:55 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
*unintelligible, anguished yelling*
Submitted by Pentameter (user info) at 2008-07-29 15:40:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Awwwwwwwwwwww
Submitted by BobSandwich (user info) at 2008-07-29 15:34:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Well done, Uber doesn't get much better.
New Brakefield please.
Submitted by i_can_get_you_a_toe (user info) at 2008-07-29 15:34:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
ugh the gooey sweetness is almost too much. But not quite.
I always feel sad with the knowledge that most golf champion golf greens are better than my carpet.
Submitted by FALLEN (user info) at 2008-07-29 15:31:20 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
outstanding
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2008-07-29 15:28:47 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Good luck & congrats!
Now, give us a Brakefield story.
Submitted by GangsterSquid (user info) at 2008-07-29 15:27:13 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Nitty gets away with touchy-feely.
Few others do.