Now That Is Love

As you know, I ride my bicycle to work everyday. I believe you are also aware that I am not a parent nor do I purport to be an expert on parenting advice. Although I am pretty sure that today, I witnessed an incident that, much like me award winning pies, would rank me heads and shoulders above my so-called parenting competition.

Waiting for the light to change at Islington and Lake shore, I saw a boy (6 at the outside) riding his bike through the intersection against a yellow at the behest of his father. I will admit that I only got two lines of the conversation, and this is how it went:

Boy - "But what if I get hit by a car?"

Father - "I don't care. Just peddle."

No matter how I framed this in my mind, it just seems wrong. Was the boys first question "what if I get attacked by a dinosaur?" Or was it the hundredth "why is the sky blue" pestering question of the day that provoked this response?

I wonder what other fatherly 'advice' this poor lad have to endure? When he has his first crush, will he be told he is too 'unfortunate looking' for such a pretty girl to like him back?

If he seeks career guidance from his none-helmet-wearing-degenerate papa will his dreams be snuffed out like the cigarette he crushes under his Giant Tiger sneakers? When you're 6 you should be encouraged to be a cowboy, astronaut or fireman and not told "your dreams are too big."

Truth be told, we all have bad days, but to tell your kid you don't care if they get hit by a car is like me telling Johnny Walker he can't be used in my boot flask. It just ain't fittin'.

"Daddy, what if the boogie man comes to get me?"

"I don't care. Just don't scream and wake me up."

Rude.