More Research Necessary

Leave a Comment / By Paul Hughes / April 4, 2021

A report from the lab —

She’ll talk sometimes, make an endless series of
noises with inflections and rhythm and pauses.
Or she’ll just scream for as long as she can.

— this from my son, the father of the girl in question, and questioning.

Hmm, I said, I still do that.

But for she, it is a dispatch from the front lines … data collection, retrieval, display … in short, research.

An earlier video chat revealed a pre-doc student grabbing everything and putting most of it in her mouth. A crushed ‘Peeps’ on Easter, for she doesn’t yet know her own strength, or strength, period — tho do we ever? Also an Easter egg hunt, whatever the heck that is.

Working from the biggest, most prestigious grant any and all of us ever get, the granddaughter is figgering on biggering, but in a good way. Both sun and snow in the state she knows, and every new state a new knowing.

Babies, among all else they are, are a good illustration of Dallas Willard’s words, ‘the world is a good and safe place for all who live in the Kingdom of God.’ Which is not to say [duh!] there is no danger. He also remarked once that the birth of his son was instrumental in his realization that he cd never not ultimately not completely in some ways not at all protect his children from harm. Such safety cannot be vouchsafed and cd not be delivered if pledged.

Vain to try, perhaps literally.

My kids’ve been on the move for more than a quarter century and still are — pulling up stakes, graduate school, having babies … who then begin to move, in fact were moving before it began and if the research director in her diapers and dimples be an indication, which of course she is, which of course isn’t unique.

I’m applying to be part of an upcoming study.

It’ll look great on the ol’ course of one’s life.

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