Swear by my Tattoo

     The day-care facility I worked at for a year after we moved to Georgia closed down a while ago. I think the closure was due to decreased enrolment – since then, no other business moved in, and a couple of years ago, the building was torn down. Today there is a sign that says a Family Dollar store is coming soon to that location.

     When I drive by and see the sign, I flash back to memories of Ms Jayne standing outside the old building having a smoke during her break; Ms Bobbie in the kitchen fixing lunch for everyone; all the kids running around the old playground; my Toyota Tercel which sat broken down in the parking lot for a couple of days; ah yes, the manager holding a staff meeting and lecturing that nap time is when the children sleep, not the teachers; a Mom on the phone cussing me out because her son was not potty trained yet while the manager watched and listened to make sure I didn't mouth off at said disgruntled parent.

    During my stint at the day-care, I had the class of 18 month-old kids. And I loved them. At that age, the children are learning to talk, and yet they could not tattle on me when they got home at night. It seemed an even trade for all the diapers I had to change. 

     Surprisingly I don't have a lot of stories to tell about the Georgia day-care after all these years. A recent memory did come to mind, however. Right after lunch every day, the teacher of the 12-month old class and I would pop a video into the television for the kids to watch to help them wind down for nap time. It would be about 20 minutes long – usually a collection of Disney movie songs. My favorite tape had two Little Mermaid songs, Under the Sea, and Just Kiss the Girl – how can you not help but love those tunes? And it had The Three Caballeros – with happy serapes. And there was Kirk Douglas, from the movie Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, he looked so young, and he was singing A Whale of a Tale – you need to youtube it – adorable – I swear by my tattoo!

     One day while watching one of the videos, the kids were sitting on the floor or lying stretched out on their stomachs. One or two might have been on our laps as we sat on the floor with them. Suddenly one of the girls let out a yelp and told a little boy near her to stop! I looked over to discover that the boy had kissed the girl's toe! It was clear that he had not given much thought to the act – the toe was there, why not lean over and give it a smooch? – something he most likely saw at home with his parents. The girl was not upset – her response was the equivalent of flicking a fly off of her foot – she did not even look at him when she yelped, just kept watching the TV – perhaps something she had picked up from her own parents. The act and the rejection both seemed so sweet – and then I felt sad – when is kissing of toes between friends ever not welcome?

      Since that day, I have pictured the little boy grown up with a continued affection for toes;, and I have imagined the little girl now a woman who appreciates a guy who will kiss her toes. I doubt either of them will be doing those things at at the Family Dollar Store – but the spirit of that moment will be there!

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