Monday, November 17, 2003

ALMOST FOUR

I have been having great little conversations lately with the almost-four-year-old (son #2) Jordan. I talk about things like the doors of perception, and he talks about things like garage doors, and we both seem to get what we need from these little chats as we rattle sentences back and forth in search of further knowledge. It is fun. We talk on different planes, but we often land together with some strange measure of great understanding.

I AM NOT SURE IF DR. FLIP COULD FLY

Jordan is already quite socialized, disdaining most all foods that are good for him. Other than perfectly cooked soft-boiled eggs ("huevitos" at our house), we pretty much force feed him anything nutritious that might be the color green, or doesn’t contain sugar. Why does he prefer to hold things that he doesn’t like in his mouth for long periods of time rather than expedite the whole distasteful process? Wouldn’t it be better to just swallow it so he could go watch the "Search for Nemo" on DVD? I’m big on negotiating with this one. These are the timeless questions, though, aren’t they? If I had the answers I might take a stab at becoming "Dr. Flip".

I was supposed to "grow up" and become Phil at some point in my life. It just never happened.

DEAR COACH TIERNEY:

Jordan refers to the lacrosse stick properly as a "crosse", while I still and always have called it (improperly) a "stick". I don’t think Princeton is out of the question for him.

Jordan seems to show more of an affinity for soccer than lacrosse right now, which I see as a good thing. He will be difficult to coach I am sure, because even at almost 4, I find it very challenging (I’m closing in on 52) to get into his head. He is by nature stubborn, and by personal experience mostly convinced that he pretty much has most things figured out by now. The game of presenting him "new" concepts is more like a dance, because teaching him cannot be a struggle. He changes best when it is his idea or whatever. My first lacrosse coach was old and the same way.

BRINGING UP FATHER

I’m sure that raising Jordan and George will be good for my overall coaching mentality and perspective.

With Jordan the situation was, "You can’t leave the hospital until you name this child!" With George, we knew it would be George Elkan (family names) Naumburg from the moment he was identified as a boy, some five months before his birth. In reality they are as different in personality types as well.

It never occurred to me that Jordan (son #2) and George (son #3) had names that sounded TOO much ALIKE until it actually became so. It was not my intention to do what George Foreman did when he named all of his children (8?) George.

No matter how much I might ultimately try to be aware then, the (my) doors to perception are not always open. Jordan’s sure are, though, double wide. Oh, to be almost 4 and know what I know now…..

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