Oh my! A disgraced knight am I

I was anticipating this day with an equal measure of thrill and doom.

The thrill because my words would be in print and read by thousands of parents in Chicagoland.

The doom because there would be a photo accompanying my words that would embarrass and subject me to ridicule by my peers.

Well, folks, that day has come. I haven't seen it in print yet but the electronic version of my essay, "Kids and grown-ups: Different as knight and day," is out there for the world to see, posted on ChicagoParent.com. As is the dreaded photo, which depicts my son and I engaged in a jousting match using cardboard tubes left over from wrapping paper as lances.

As I'd written before when I suggested the concept of a Writer Protection Program, it's a heavy price we as writers pay to see our words in print.

Now feel free to give this disgraced knight your best shots.

Or if you'd rather hold off your attacks until you've seen it in print, here is a complete list of places, by zip code, where you can pick up a copy of Chicago Parent Magazine for free. See if you can beat me to them.

Update on Wednesday, May 24, 2006 at 08:18PM by Randy Richardson

Oops! I gave some bad linkage in my initial post. That, I guess, is why you need to go back and check these things before telling everyone you know about them. The link to the essay should be fixed now. Sorry about that. I am a bad, bad knight.

Update on Thursday, May 25, 2006 at 04:07PM by Randy Richardson

My wife reports from daycare today that The Toddler was given the Hollywood treatment. He was 'signing' copies of the article.

Comments

[INTL]

Randy Ma Man,
Jousting! That's manly stuff. Mortal combat. A battle combining cunning, skill and a bit of luck (if the other knight's paper tube happens to come unglued).

Try tea parties. Pretty pretty princess. Dress up.

You my friend are PRIVELEGED! Physical sport without drama. I envy you.

So climb out from under your trusty stead. Shed that sheepish grin and charge proudly into that cold, cat bowl moat. Yours is an honored and dignified dalliance. The accompanying aches and pains evidence of time well-spent. The alternative is hair ribbons and bows.

[R DeCoursey]

Jousting, schmousting! You're not a real man until you've played Pretty, Pretty Princess about 700 times!

[D. Wood]

Isn't that your picture from Jousting-parent magazine?