one of the great things
about the nine year old boys i know,
is that if you shovel only one path from the back porch to the bus stop
and it’s a zig-zag,
then you tell them that they have to stay on the path
(even though the snow is only 2″ deep),
they will roll their eyes
at you,
and say ‘no way’.
then they will go ahead and do it, and
by the time they are halfway to the door,
they will be laughing from the bottom of their hearts
with unadulterated joy.