I named the painting below from something John said, “When I Was a Kid We Didn’t Have Virtual Reality- We Had Dirt.”  He had a wonderful guy- type childhood. There were bunches of boys about his age, REAL bows and arrows for everyone, and KNIVES, and once they even found DYNAMITE.

But after serving in the Vietnam War John is not crazy about things that go pop any longer. My Dad, having served in WWII didn’t like fireworks either for years. John is just now easing into poppers, those tiny little packages that HE throws to make mini explosions. He wouldn’t like those either if I was doing the throwing.

Last night as John and I sat outside, on the front porch enjoying cool breezes in the dark, wars were averted and friendships were saved. Vietnam War II, and a cultural war, and a U. S. Revolutionary War II were not waged.

John was letting his mind go were the rest of him was afraid to tread. Our next door neighbor to the east served at the same time as John but for eleven years because he was a South Vietnamese. Those two men have laughed and cried together over that period knowing the complete understanding of the other. With that understanding in mind, John thought, “Wouldn’t it be fun to fasten twenty poppers to the bottom of Dom’s front security door?  When he snaps it closed, it would explode behind him.”  “Oh yea, that- would- be- fun, just don’t be surprised if he seeks vengeance,” I said.

But John’s already off to fantasy war number two. “Well, we could string poppers on Richard’s metal gate; make more of a bang than a clang when it shuts.”  Richard lives across the street and is a little leary of John anyway (gender differences and voting patterns).  I moaned, John restrained himself and thus a cultural war was diverted.

Johns’ mind wandered to our western neighbor, Matt.  Matt doesn’t use his front door but John visualized his surprise when his garage door would bang shut with sonic accessories!  I punched him playfully in the arm and thus The American Revolutionary War II was averted in Portland, Oregon last night.

But my mind visualizes too. What if John acted out his fantasy and all three offended neighbors formed a coalition?  nancymauerman.com

When I Was a Kid We Didn’t Have Virtual Reality – We Had Dirt