So recently Abby has had a thing with fire.
A little scared of it
It’s in the lights!
And a little intrigued by it
Why is it hot?
But mostly highly aware of fire ever since the local fire department visited her school to “teach” fire awareness.
I am somewhat curious about their tactics; instilling a fear that isn’t called for. Respect? Yes. Understanding? Great. But straight up fear? That is typically only useful for parents and large governments.
But, that’s not why we’re here. We are here tonight because Abby approached Angela after watching a PBS Kids special on firefighters and said
When I grow up I wanna be a firefighter.
Can you say “U-Turn”? I can’t imagine what I would have said. But I wouldn’t have had the chance anyway because after a deliberate pause she followed up with
Wanna know why?
Yeah! Why?
Because I love those clothes!
As she explained to me later
Because of the booooots and the helmet and the pants and the coat and the….the…THE Mask! and the scuba tank.
I love those clothes.
[thinking to myself] I wonder when I break it to her that the clothes are there to KEEP the HOT fire OUT and firefighters get REALLY dirty and sooty.
Then she whispers to me with a hand alongside her cheek all sneaky-like
But first I am gonna be Madison.
I will let her figure it out for herself.
blief 
I don’t remember their tactics when I was little but I do remember being *incredibly* afraid of fire. I would have panic attacks and nightmares and to make matters worse one of the girls I went to school with had her house burn down just a block from where I lived (and there were casualties).
I don’t know when I stopped freaking out about it but I DO remember the panicky feeling all too well. I would never want any child to feel that way about fire and I am glad to hear that Abby’s feelings on it are making a u-turn. It’s definitely something to be respected, but fire’s good for all sorts of things so it shouldn’t necessarily be feared.
On a totally different note, does she know about the Dalmatians? =P
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Of course she loves the clothes, that’s our Abby! What a girl! What a doll!
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The Clothes?! The Clothes!!?? What is it with females that they are so obsessed over clothes? Do you suppose The Grand Mother would have taken a second look at me if I hadn’t been wearing that “neat looking” USN ossifer’s uniform?
Of course she wouldn’t have! Indeed she even cheered against me and my team and booed me a year or so earlier when I went into the game during the final quarter of the District championship game when I was NOT in Navy uniform, but instead in my High School’s basketball uniform.
No, it is obvious that “clothes make the man” when it comes to a woman’s impression.
Alas — it has taken me so long to come to this realization! Thanks Abby for awakening your dear old Great Grumpy Z to this fact. I guess I’ll start wearing clean blue jeans from now on instead of those that I keep wearing until they stand by themselves, and see if The Grand Mother notices me again.
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