Saturday, December 27, 2008

Four Stages of Lost

Christmas is supposed to be a serene time of peace on earth, love for your fellow man, good tidings of great joy. Suddenly out of nowhere, there is the sound of a tussle. I hear someone yelling out, "No mercy! I will beat you senseless.". Now, I am getting a bit ahead of myself. Let me take you back to that fateful day, so long ago. Let me tell you how I lost my little girl in just 4 stages on Christmas day, December 25, 2008 (O.K., so it wasn't that long ago, but I am trying to build up some atmosphere, some drama).
Anyway, in stage 1, you can see my little girl when she came into the living room and saw all of the presents that Santa had left for her. Notice how cute and innocent she looks, a picture of excitement, you can almost hear Norman Rockwell crooning in the background (strange, he wasn't known for his singing). Fast forward the scene to just a few short moments later. In stage 2, she unwraps what is to become the source for all her affliction. It appears innocent enough at first glance, but this device bears the marking of the beast, "Wii". Just a few frames further on, we see in stage 3, this once cute, innocent girl trying to beat the snot out of some hapless simpleton who dared challenge her in the Wii boxing ring. This is no friendly sparring match, no low-key exhibition. Notice the fury in her eyes, the unbridled rage. By stage 4, my little one is a total zombie, unable to make complete sentences, unable even to ask for a glass of juice. Be afraid, be very afraid.