I know you boys and girls usually get a pep talk from drb on thursdays or fridays, and in no way am I as eloquent as he is. I thought I would write this for fun to also coincide with Dylan's post on what happened to America's men.
In New Orleans we begin to celebrate Mardi Gras on the 12th night after Christmas. Mardi Gras is based on when Easter Sunday is. They way Easter Sunday is determined is that it is the first Sunday,after the first full moon,after the fall equinox. Everybody following? Good! Mardi Gras is always 40 days before Easter. Therefore Mardi Gras and Easter do not ever fall on an specific date.
Most of Mardi Gras (MG from now on) is a lot of storries about mythology. We have parade organizations with names like Zeus, Orpheus,Neptune etc. When it would be getting close to MG, the schools would have a little pageant of their own ...good pageants I might add. Any kid in the school could sign up and be in the play.
One year we are doing the story of the great Zeus and the almighty Hercules, and the Monday before the Saturday pageant the principal came on the loud speaker and said all kids in the pageant should come to the auditorium to meet Hercules. Well the kids were going wild, so the princpal said all kids could come meet Hercules.
Hercules walked out on stage and the girls were screeching and the boys were making do do in the pants. Hercules had this huge mound of thick black hair, a heavy full black beard and looked like a giant. His arms looked like telephone posts!
He got on stage and asked the kids if they had any questions for Hercules. A little girl stands up and asks what would Hercules do if someone pointed a gun at him. Hercules went on about how if children ever see a gun to turn right around and go get their parents. Do not ever touch a gun, he said. Then he said well you asked me what I would do. He pulled a gun out of a wooden box and showed it to us. Then he bent the barrell backwards. He said now if he tries to shoot me he will really be shooting himself...right? Herc was on a roll. Next little boy asks..Hercules what would you do if they put you in jail. Hercules says he follows ALL laws day and night, so therefore would never be put in jail. He said I do have a piece of iron that jail bars are made from. Goes to his box and pulls out this black iron bar. He wraps a dishtowel around it and bends it over his knee. Screams and sreetches again and the teachers are not trying to quiet them until they quieted on there own. One little boy says..Hercules we play horsehoes because our coach says they are heavy and will help us become strong. How far can you throw a horseshoe Hercules? Herc goes to his box and produces 2 horseshoes. He clangs them together very loudly, and asks the boy...are your horsehoes like these. Yes sir Mr Hercules. Got that folks? We were polite...we said yes sir, no sir, thank you, Mr Mrs....we had manners.
I digress..sorry. Hercules takes the horseshoe and bends and twists it until it is almost straight. Then he laughs and says...what horseshoe? Kids were falling in love with him, and having big belly laughs.
Last question from a little girl. Mr Hercules how strong are you? Hercules pulls out a kids set of 110lb barbells and puts it on stage. On the side of the bar and on both ends there is a Z. I put that there with my mom's fingernail polish and Hercules had my weights. OMG....Zeke knew who Hercules was...lol.
Well anyway Hercules asked each child if they wanted to try and lift the weights. Maybe 10 boys, and 3 girls gave it a shot.None could budge the weights. Hercules asked the children to stand back and he hoisted the hold thing up in the air with ONE HAND. Then commenced to rep it. That 110lbs to me was ten thousand pounds and I remember thinking that my dad is every bit as strong as Hercules.
Anyway...how simple things were in those days. No child dared to get sent to the principal. No child got punish work, we loved our teachers and they loved us.
Latter I learned that he bought some props at a magic store, such as a gun, a horsehoe, a heavy black jail bar, a beard and a wig. Also the H that was tatooed on his arm was drawn by my mom. Can't find a pic of him with the wig and tat, so I drew it to give you an idea.
Jake as afar away as possible...lol...to the right
In New Orleans we begin to celebrate Mardi Gras on the 12th night after Christmas. Mardi Gras is based on when Easter Sunday is. They way Easter Sunday is determined is that it is the first Sunday,after the first full moon,after the fall equinox. Everybody following? Good! Mardi Gras is always 40 days before Easter. Therefore Mardi Gras and Easter do not ever fall on an specific date.
Most of Mardi Gras (MG from now on) is a lot of storries about mythology. We have parade organizations with names like Zeus, Orpheus,Neptune etc. When it would be getting close to MG, the schools would have a little pageant of their own ...good pageants I might add. Any kid in the school could sign up and be in the play.
One year we are doing the story of the great Zeus and the almighty Hercules, and the Monday before the Saturday pageant the principal came on the loud speaker and said all kids in the pageant should come to the auditorium to meet Hercules. Well the kids were going wild, so the princpal said all kids could come meet Hercules.
Hercules walked out on stage and the girls were screeching and the boys were making do do in the pants. Hercules had this huge mound of thick black hair, a heavy full black beard and looked like a giant. His arms looked like telephone posts!
He got on stage and asked the kids if they had any questions for Hercules. A little girl stands up and asks what would Hercules do if someone pointed a gun at him. Hercules went on about how if children ever see a gun to turn right around and go get their parents. Do not ever touch a gun, he said. Then he said well you asked me what I would do. He pulled a gun out of a wooden box and showed it to us. Then he bent the barrell backwards. He said now if he tries to shoot me he will really be shooting himself...right? Herc was on a roll. Next little boy asks..Hercules what would you do if they put you in jail. Hercules says he follows ALL laws day and night, so therefore would never be put in jail. He said I do have a piece of iron that jail bars are made from. Goes to his box and pulls out this black iron bar. He wraps a dishtowel around it and bends it over his knee. Screams and sreetches again and the teachers are not trying to quiet them until they quieted on there own. One little boy says..Hercules we play horsehoes because our coach says they are heavy and will help us become strong. How far can you throw a horseshoe Hercules? Herc goes to his box and produces 2 horseshoes. He clangs them together very loudly, and asks the boy...are your horsehoes like these. Yes sir Mr Hercules. Got that folks? We were polite...we said yes sir, no sir, thank you, Mr Mrs....we had manners.
I digress..sorry. Hercules takes the horseshoe and bends and twists it until it is almost straight. Then he laughs and says...what horseshoe? Kids were falling in love with him, and having big belly laughs.
Last question from a little girl. Mr Hercules how strong are you? Hercules pulls out a kids set of 110lb barbells and puts it on stage. On the side of the bar and on both ends there is a Z. I put that there with my mom's fingernail polish and Hercules had my weights. OMG....Zeke knew who Hercules was...lol.
Well anyway Hercules asked each child if they wanted to try and lift the weights. Maybe 10 boys, and 3 girls gave it a shot.None could budge the weights. Hercules asked the children to stand back and he hoisted the hold thing up in the air with ONE HAND. Then commenced to rep it. That 110lbs to me was ten thousand pounds and I remember thinking that my dad is every bit as strong as Hercules.
Anyway...how simple things were in those days. No child dared to get sent to the principal. No child got punish work, we loved our teachers and they loved us.
Latter I learned that he bought some props at a magic store, such as a gun, a horsehoe, a heavy black jail bar, a beard and a wig. Also the H that was tatooed on his arm was drawn by my mom. Can't find a pic of him with the wig and tat, so I drew it to give you an idea.
Jake as afar away as possible...lol...to the right
