Every parent has stories about their child when they were little. Somewhat embarrassing stories about you that seem to creep up in conversation when they are meeting someone you’re dating. They seem to get a laugh about it. Well this seems to be “my story” that my parents liked telling, so here you go…
My Granny was a wonderful person in my life. I’ll likely write more about her as this blog continues. She was the best friend a kid could ever have. One of her standard practices was taking me out to see Disney movies. One of these was the Disney version of the story of “Pinocchio” where a wooden boy of a puppet becomes a real boy.
Anyway, my favorite character in this movie was Jiminy Cricket who served as a kind of conscious to the boy. He tries his best to keep Pinocchio out of trouble, but with little success. I was such a fan of the character when I got to go to Disney World I wouldn’t be happy until I found someone wearing a Jiminy Cricket costume. It never happened, and although I have pictures with practically every other character, no Jiminy.
Fast forward just a bit, I am still a little kid though, and my Mom and my Aunt Jean go out shopping. As it happens to practically every child in a good-sized store or mall, I got separated from my Mom and couldn’t find her.
Being raised to ask for help when I am lost, I go to the store counter and tell them I can’t find my Mom. The employee asked my name, to which I confidently replied “Jiminy Cricket!” Not sure if the employee knew anything about the movie, or perhaps she thought it was my true name. Apparently my apparel color was also important.
She picked up the microphone and announced to the store, “Will the mother of a little boy dressed in GREEN going by the name of Jiminy Cricket please report to the service counter”.
Apparently my Mom was embarrassed to have a cricket for a son, and didn’t want to claim me. She turned to my aunt who was a teenager and said to her that she would need to claim me and bring me to the car. My Mom then apparently headed for the car waiting for my aunt to retrieve me.
So here this teenage girl needs to go claim that this cricket dressed in green was her son. Which she did so, apparently getting only a few stares as she left the store with me holding her hand.
Mom claimed that if it weren’t for my aunt, I would still be waiting at that customer service counter.
The End.
*** BONUS SIDE STORY ***
Kids behaving made me also think of this tale, which is not large enough to be it’s own FNF.
Fast-forward a lot more to the very late 80s. I was in college and got a part time job working at a Ponderosa Steakhouse in LaPorte Indiana. Basically I waited tables, brought drinks, took dirty plates away, cleaned up, etc.
Anyway, once day I was working and this woman was having a difficult time with her unruly son. He didn’t want to behave. She threatened, “If you don’t start behaving I am going to leave you here!”
Not missing a beat, I approached the table and looked the kid in the eye with a sad expression on my face. I told him, “You best behave. I didn’t behave and my Mom left me here years ago and now I have to work every day.”
The child’s eyes widened in surprise and he immediately started acting like a complete angel. The Mom was almost laughing, holding it in not to give it away as the joke it was. She thanked me for the help and I got a nice tip.
The End.
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