Stick it to ya!

While out with friends this weekend, I met a group of fellows who were in town for a wedding. There was chit chat about hockey which led to a conversation about Spiderman…and next thing you know…we’re discussing slap shots and how many sticks Spidey goes through in a year. Turns out…one of them was a Rep for “XYZ Hockey Sticks” (I know the real name…I’m protecting the innocent.)

Anyway, as luck would have it, it was suggested I get Spiderman’s stick specifics and maybe I’d get a few sticks in the mail…and let’s be honest…at $300 a pop…I was pretty psyched!

So…I snap-chatted Spidey with a quick “Hey, just met the Rep for XYZ Hockey Sticks and he’ll send us some twigs…what do you want?”

To which he responds…

“XYZ Sucks. Let me know when you meet the Rep for CCM!”

??

Reminds me of many years back…Spiderman was four and, like all young boys, couldn’t get enough of tractors.

When his grandfather purchased one for his property…a bright orange Kubota…my son was hooked and there was nothing better than being on his grandfather’s land…going for a ride…scooping up dirt in that mighty machine!

One day, while running errands, we passed by a CAT dealership and Spiderman nearly exploded from his booster seat. The scream of “stop the car” near rattled my ear drum and it wasn’t long before I was turning around and heading in the direction that my overly excited son was pointing.

Slowly…I drove around the parking lot as he peered out his window…freaking about everything he saw! But of course it wasn’t enough….he had to go in.

Much to my dismay…followed by a lecture on how to properly behave inside a place of business…knowing there was no way I could ever drive away without fulfilling his dreams…I parked the car and held my little boys hand as we walked into the lobby of CAT…explaining to the young woman at the desk that we were just going to “have a look.”

He stood. Wide-eyed. In awe. Peering at the few displays in the lobby of the dealership.

An engine. A massive tire. Some kind of early excavator something or other thing-a-ma-jiggy.

I don’t honestly remember what anything was but next to these few artifacts were story boards that he insisted I read out loud. And he’d repeat everything that excited him…that much louder.

Followed by my “Sssshhhhh….!”

And his quiet excitement as we moved to the next display where he couldn’t help but get more excited each and every time.

Eventually, a manager stepped outside his office (quite possibly because he couldn’t concentrate on his work) and offered us a tour.

With the “Fluid Intake Lab” being the highlight of the day, this gentlemen (I wish I remembered his name) showed my excited boy everything he could. He took him through the back parking lot and showed him the various tractors…allowing him to climb on the tires and into the cabs. He told Spiderman a little about each tractor…the CAT D610, the CAT R511, the CAT C514…I totally forget the names so I’m making them up but I’ll never forget the sound of Spiderman’s little voice as he repeated each name like it was the most beautiful word he’d ever heard!

He was in his glory.

On leaving, the gentleman walked us to our car and I shook his hand and thanked him for going out of his way and making my boy’s day. He reached down to shake Spiderman’s hand and as he listened to Spiderman’s wee and suddenly very shy “thank you” he asked one. simple. question.

“What is your very favorite kind of tractor?”

To which Spiderman responded…

“Kubota.”

And I’ll never forget the belly laugh that exploded from that wonderful man!

Seems things never change!

Spiderman has his likes and dislikes and no matter what kind of adventure you show him or whether you’d give him something for free…it doesn’t matter… he knows what he likes!

Loyal to a fault.

Now…I wonder if Spiderman’s grandfather needs any work done using that Kubota? So Spidey can make himself a bit of money moving logs…to buy himself a few new sticks!