Now and Then...

The picture above was my mother's idea. The original is on the left. That's me, back in the day when all pictures looked yellow. That was our clock that sat on top of the 600 lb, 25 in TV console which permanently indented our disco-shag carpet. It is set at 8:10... the time of my birth (a.m. if you were curious). You guessed it - that's yours truly behind the clock, rockin' the hair with my pajama top tucked in like a good boy, sleeves rolled up like a bad boy.

On the right is almost the same picture, with a different actor - Jackman. The clock survived me and my brother (although is doesn't seem to work). One of the columns is loose, and the clock face wants to fall out, but it's still hanging in there. It is noticeably set to 11:29, the time of the morning Jackman was born. That's the Man, the Myth, the Legend in the background sporting a size 3 pamper and his new birthday shirt. Nowadays if Jackman is awake, he's either grinning with that tongue stuck out, or laughing.

I'm not sure how much work it was for Ma to get that shot of me, but I'll tell you... that one of Jackman didn't happen in just one shot. Unfortunately, he had just learned how to sprint like an Olympian a couple days before, so getting him to be still was next to impossible. Setting his high chair in the background next to the dining room table was the easy part.

Even after all that, I really only took a few shots. Its amazing to me the little similarities between us in this picture: the grin, the hands, the way we're standing. But then again I know he's going to be different from me. I already wonder what kind of person he will turn out to be. Right handed or left handed? Math and science or art and literature? The band or sports? Car or truck? Alabama or .... well, let's not get carried away.

Anyway, even though he's only a year old now, we're starting to get little glimpses of who he is, and who he's going to be. I realize he's going to be different from me, I just hope I can always remember that's okay. I hope I can always remember God has it worked out who He wants him to be, and its mine and Lisa's job to mold him into that person.