The Ring -er Fire

2007


It's after dinner time and Dad and I are sitting in the sun room having coffee. Jay is sitting with us working on his book report which is due in a few days. Dad is sitting quietly and Jay is asking questions and editing his work out loud. Of course Dad can't hear all that well (also could care less who is talking) and he interrupts with "Yeah so what are these IPAD things the kids got? I know I helped pay for some for the kids, are they like records or music or something?" I tell Jay to go get his Ipod so PaPa can see it. Jay puts his work aside and leaves the room.

When he returns he has the Ipod and he says "PaPa put these things in your ears and listen." He hands Dad the earphones and puts the Ipod down next to him. Dad puts the earphones in and his eyes get real big. Jay is smiling. I ask him "What music is playing now?" Jay says "Johnny Cash." Before we know it Dad is stomping his foot and snapping his fingers. He starts singing at the top of his lungs "I fell in to the burnin ring-er fire - I went down down down but the flames went higher, and it burns burns burns.........the ring-er fire, the ring-er fire......."

Jay is in hysterics and so am I. Dad is having the time of his life. He starts playing air guitar and continues singing. There are a total of six Johnny Cash songs on the Ipod and Dad puts on a rockin' show for a good twenty minutes or so. It's times like these when I just want to go over and give him a big hug. He looks so darn cute. He's singing as if no one can hear him, without any reservation at all. I don't think he's given any thought to what he sounds like or looks like. He's just having a good time. It's nice to see him happy and enjoying himself. We preserve the moment with a picture on the digital camera. "Dad, hold up the Ipod!" He poses holding the Ipod upside down - hey who cares, it's a good time! When he is done he says he wants to buy one for himself. He makes a point of saying he wants the "Margariter - ville" song on it too! (Dad just loves Jimmy Buffet)

The next afternoon Dad is sitting in my living room chair watching me do house work. (Which is one of his favorite activities) I typically find this irritating, because he is perfectly capable of performing household chores. However he prefers to watch me work or fall asleep in the room I'm cleaning. Over the last few months I've been telling him that he needs to help out. The first time I did this he complained, then did the task, and stayed in his apartment for three days. He only emerged at meal times and then quickly disappeared. As he is watching me work I tell him, "You haven't cleaned your bathroom this week, so maybe you can get that done." He sighs. "Dad what's the matter, do you have big plans?" He slowly says, "I've been sick for days. I just don't say nothin." So I prod further "Dad you're sick? What's the matter?" He sadly explains "I dunno, I just been sick since I listened to that Ipod yesterday. The Ipod made me sick."