Blog Archives
Strangely Looking for The Rookie Dad
Lately, I have seen more and more emails telling me that people have subscribed to The Rookie Dad. I welcomed this at first, then I realized there was a problem. I never told the readers of this site about my new site. OK well it isn’t so much new as I just transferred to a self-hosted site which allows me to offer you, the reader, more content with more bells and whistles.
I can hear you now, you are wondering what that site is. Well just take a look at the URL of the site you are at now, and take out the wordpress.com portion and you’ll get it.
There you can sign up to follow me again (you can sign up for my newsletter to make sure you do not miss anything), because quite frankly, it is too dang difficult to handle two sites that are basically two in the same.
I look forward to seeing you there!
Will I Ever Hear The TV Again?
I am sitting here on the couch. Relaxing after a hard day’s work. It has been a long week. I have changed bosses and moved offices and the adjustment has been difficult on me. I am sinking into my chair.
I am relaxing. As I sit in my easy chair waiting for the Kansas City Royals game to come on. I’m seeing a timeline and in and out points from editing video all day. I’m looking forward to watching this game even though I am not your typical Royals fan. I root for them only because I am from Kansas City.
I turn the TV. The game comes on. You can see the excitement that the fans from Kansas City had at the game, I am taking in the excitement. It is something residents of Kansas City haven’t seen in 29 years!
Out of the corner of my eye I see Mrs. Rookie Dad working on her homework and I see the Rookie pull out his Batman doll. I smile and sense a peaceful evening as I watch the game.
Image Courtesy of G3ICT.org
Suddenly, out of nowhere, the Kid raises his voice, and starts to make flying sounds. His voice gets even louder as he talks in his batman voice.
Teaching the Kid Life Lessons
Let me be the first to say this, I SUCK at doing chores. I have the hardest time getting the motivation to do them after a hard day’s work. It is my thought that I should be able to come home and just be able to relax.
I realize though, that there are things that need to get done around the house. I know that the floor needs to be swept and vacuumed. My feet appreciate picking up the Lego pieces that are left on the living room floor, if they don’t end up in the vacuum. The dishes need to be done and the lawn needs to be mowed.
Doing these chores are a pain, I am not going to lie. The moment I walk in the door I hear my empty easy chair calling my name. My feet are hurting from walking to and from different sides of the building at work. The Netflix queue needs to be watched. However, the Kid needs to learn that not everything will come easy. There are times when we have to do things that we don’t particularly enjoy.
The Smartphone, My Camera of Choice
When I grew up, if you wanted to take pictures you either ran to the store to grab a disposable camera or you pulled out a camera with a bunch of settings that you don’t know what they mean. Today, you can still break out in a DSLR camera or you can just reach into your pocket and quickly take a picture with your smartphone.
I’m lucky enough to have both a DSLR and a smartphone. I’ve had both since the Kid was born. When the Kid was mostly immobile and I more time on my hands to edit pictures, I almost always reached for my DSLR. The pictures always turned out so crisp and clean compared to my early iPhone.
A picture taken of the Kid at 6 months old with my DSLR.
Now, the Kid is going on 4-years-old and can sprint around the house faster than it would take me to get my settings right on my Canon Rebel. Now the moment I see a moment that I want to remember, I reach for my phone, usually in movie mode and I’m able to take pictures while I am getting video of the Kid.
Lessons Learned from Disney’s Planes Fire and Rescue
Disney has done it again. They had a great children’s movie in Planes and before the success of the movie even started they were already preparing their new movie Planes Fire and Rescue. This time however unlike Cars 2 they did not ruin the movie franchise.
If you want my opinion, Planes Fire and Rescue was better than the first Planes. I believe that Disney hit it out of the park with this one. There is much more emotion and even brought me to tears when Dusty went… well you will just have to watch the movie for yourself.
Reflecting upon our viewing on opening night of Planes Fire and Rescue, I realized how much meaning there was behind this movie. There are many lessons to be learned and I hope that the Kid will someday fully understand some of those lessons that Dusty and his friends are teaching not just our kids, but all of us.
Life Doesn’t Always Work Out
For those of you who haven’t seen the Disney flick yet you might not realize it but Dusty’s racing days are over in Planes Fire and Rescue. Dusty has become a racing champion known around the world but in one accident, his racing days are over. Naturally, Dusty is extremely upset. This was all he wanted to be in the first Planes. He has no idea what to do with his life at this point knowing that he will never race again. Dusty along with the many who have already watched the movie learn that life doesn’t always work out. What you can do is the next life lesson that the movie teaches us.
If You Get Knocked Down Pick Yourself Back Up
Dusty has just learned that there is a way that he can save Propwash Junction in Planes Fire and Rescue, he can become a firefighter. He understands that this may the only thing he has left. Dusty understands that because he unable to race, he needs to do something to pick himself up, distract him from what is really bothering him, and save his home town and become a firefighter. He doesn’t let the fact that he can no longer race stop him from living his life. Much like in all of our lives, if you get knocked down pick yourself right back up and keep fighting. A lesson that many of our children teach us adults, but one as our children grow we must remind them.
Learn To Grow
Since Dusty has no firefighting experience in the beginning of Disney’s Fire and Rescue, he knows that he that he has to learn to grow into something that he is not. It isn’t his ideal scenario in life. Even though he doesn’t know how to be a firefighter he does everything he can to learn how to be one. He isn’t doing this for himself he is really do this for all of his friends back at Propwash Junction. He is learning while growing into a bigger and better plane. As parents, we must teach our children to become a better person. It is quite possibly the hardest job we have as parents.
You Can Do Whatever You Put Your Mind To
When Dusty arrives at Piston Peak, he makes up his mind that he is going to be a firefighter. Once this decision is made, he combines all the three lessons mentioned above: life doesn’t always work out, when life knocks you down pick yourself back up, and learn to grow. Knowing that this isn’t how life was supposed to work out, he is tested as a firefighter and is knocked down in many ways as he is training to get his certification but he learns from those upsets and grows from them. Dusty puts his mind to it, he really wants to be a firefighter, not only for himself but for Propwash Junction and everyone at Piston Peak. In the end, it all… well again, you will just have to watch the movie for yourself to see how it ends.
This was the first time that I actually dove into a movie to see what it was really teaching the Kid. Not only that, but Disney’s Planes Fire and Rescue brought a tear to this grown man’s eyes. This may sound like most of the Disney movies, but one thing that Disney has figured out that many other studios haven’t yet, is how to drive these lessons home to their moviegoers and make the movie truly family friendly. Take my advice, go out and watch Planes Fire and Rescue, you, your children, and your family will not regret it.
This goes without saying though, that this movie is in dedication for those first responders who put their lives on the line every single day.
The Rookie Dad 