Cal and Betty had a three-year-old son named Freddie. One night after Freddie had been tucked in, Betty said to Cal, “We should get Freddie a doll.”
“A doll!” exclaimed, Cal. “My boy is going to grow up like me—become a Navy Seal, fix heavy equipment, ride a hog on the weekend. What does he need with a doll?”
“Yes, Cal, he’s going to grow up to be just like you.
He’s going to be a Seal, a diesel mechanic, and a motorcycle enthusiast. But there’s one more thing. He’s going to be a dad. And practicing on a doll will help him be better at that.”
“Hmmph. Well, I guess I can see that. But does it have to be a doll?”
“Could we get him a stuffed animal he can dress up? And it has to be a tough animal,” Cal said.
Betty agreed and bought a stuffed lion. Then she created three outfits to fit the stuffed toy: a Navy Seal uniform, a mechanic’s jumpsuit, and a leather jacket and jeans.
Together, they gave Freddie his new toy. Cal got into the spirit of the moment. He dressed the stuffed animal in the Seal uniform. “See, son, this is how Daddy looked when he was in the Navy.”
Then he put the jumpsuit on the toy. “And at work Daddy looks like this.”
Freddie was looking more and more confused, but Cal soldiered on. He took off the mechanic’s uniform and dressed the lion in the motorcycling outfit.
“And when Daddy rides his motorcycle, he looks like this.”
Finally, Freddie asked, “Daddy, do you really turn into a lion?”
Yet, there’s no denying it: Unless you plan to ride exclusively around the Southern United States, you’ll face some chilly winters. And even before it...
