electric gum

I believe that we all can look back and think of a childhood obsession that we were pretty sure would be life changing. For Reid that was the frogs {that still haven’t called}. But for Ryan(10), it was something much different. Over the holidays I noticed that each time we went shopping he was looking for something. Something that couldn’t be found. As his search continued unsuccessfully, he started verbalizing that he was on the lookout for Electric Gum. I nodded and smiled. I didn’t have a clue what electric gum was, but was pretty sure that he wasn’t finding it because it didn’t exist. Finally, he explained that electric gum was trick gum that shocked you when you took it out of the package. ahhh! Electric gum is very cool. Electric gum could be life changing. We went online and found electric gum packaged with two other goodies…an electric pen and a hand buzzer. If electric gum alone is life changing, then this set could potentially change the course of world events! We ordered the $9 BIG purchase with allowance money and then the wait was on. Why do online purchases take so long? And “so long” refers to 3 days. Kid days surpass dog years. And then the magical day came with the arrival of the tricky trio. The package was torn open enthusiastically. Each item was examined with delight. Every device was plotted on with super villain energy. The first marks were brothers. Hey Reid!   Do you want a piece of gum?* *I might mention that this deception would have been more effective if every waking moment hadn’t been filled with electric gum expectation chatter. No thanks! Hey Rhett!   I have a present for you! No way! As the day went on, the true colors of my children were revealed:

• Rhett was the first one to “try” the shocking pen and the electric gum.   He giggled and said, “that isn’t so bad.”
• Reid was the second one to jump into the voltage.   Once he tried it, he continued to push the button shocking himself until I took it away several minutes later.
• Ryan {the owner} refused to try it.

Yep, the boy whose mere future rested on obtaining these can’t-live-without items wouldn’t even try them. Despite the refusal to participate in the stimulating play, he continued to try and recruit trick prey. And this is where I stepped in… You may NOT trick other people with that until you have tried it yourself. At this point I had tried it and had the same reaction as Rhett, but it didn’t seem fair to me for someone to force others to be subjected to something that he was unwilling to experience. And that is where it stands. Nowhere. A month later and he has still not pulled the gum, pushed the pen or shaken the hand. I guess changing ones life can be placed on pause.