I’ve noticed in recent years an odd, but interesting, trend. When I’m talking to friends or family, their little kids tend to grab me by the hand and drag me off to another room.

Well, I let them drag me off – they aren’t exactly in my weight class.

And once they’ve got me away from the adults, I’m pulled right into what-ever video game or story or adventure they desperately need to show me.

I think they recognize that while I speak “adult” when needed – mostly – I’m really just a tall kid. Eventually, I’ll wander back to the adults and the kids are usually okay with that. They know I’m fluent in dragon, minecraft, stickers, and giant fighting robots – or whatever language they are using at the moment. I could teach a master’s class in Lego (play well) and I even speak a little My Little Pony – though with an admittedly odd dialect.

[they’ve got a character named and modeled after Discord – the goddess of chaos and strife. That’s hardcore.]

It’s got to look a little odd when I get co-opted, but I think it’s pretty awesome when the kids want to include me – especially those kids who don’t usually warm up to adults so easily.

And, the kids are more fun anyway.

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I like going to art exhibits and museums and supporting the artists that I’m lucky enough to know. Sometimes, I take a more direct approach with my favorite artist. I’ve been an art model, a getaway driver, tech support, and constructive critic. And now, a supplier.

Jim is taking a painting class and on his first day he texted me from the studio. Seems as though he’d missed the email that told him he needed painting supplies for that first class. I was playing a video game and asked if he needed me to bring him some supplies. He told me “maybe” and that he’d text me. Figuring that would turn into a “yes” I got a head start and headed over to his house to get whatever watercolor paint, brushes, and paper that he had. I was in route to the school when I got the go-ahead and met my very relieved painter at the door to his class room.

When he got his first assignment done, he told me that for his next one he had to paint 2 inverted pears. Figuring it might be difficult to find such an oddly specific image to paint from, I stopped at the grocery store and bought him some real pears. When I surprised him at his house, he gave me an odd look – I was apparently pretty excited about the pears. Which… it turned out he didn’t need – all the students in the class were supposed to work from the same image.

Still, pears.

It’ll be interesting to see where his next project takes him – and I’m happy enough to just carry stuff around if needed. 🙂

— Edit: Jim does get to paint the real pears after all.  Yea, pears!