TRUE CONFESSIONS

By now, almost everyone has heard as much as they want to hear about the little boy who fell into the ape enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo.  I really have nothing to add except a personal experience that I couldn't help remembering whenever the story was on TV or in the newspaper.

One sunny Saturday afternoon in the late 1970's, I took my son, Andy, with me to the local watering hole where many of my friends would meet.  This left my wife with only the three girls to keep track of which is easy by comparison.  He was about the same age as the boy the gorilla dragged through the moat.

Well, it wasn't long before I was sitting at the bar sipping a cold one, bantering about sports with the guys while my son played in another part of the establishment.  This bar sat on Route 42 in Pisgah (it happened before we got fancy and started calling the area West Chester).  The tavern was called Stan's Cafe (owner Stan Clasgens - RIP) and is no longer there.

Anyway, after a while our jovial mood was rudely interrupted by an overbearing middle aged woman who stormed into the bar dragging my son by the arm (just like the ape in the moat).  She blurts out, "Does this child belong to anyone in here?  He was playing out near the highway."

Of course, with a very red face I claimed him...scolded him and thanked the lady.  I was searching for someone to blame or be mad at - but there was no one but me.  How embarrassing.

It used to be a joke I would hear parents repeat saying they told their children to go play in traffic.  I really didn't do that.  Thank God we can laugh about it now.

*o*