Going to the movies...

Grandpa's journey to the movies


Us old timers have been through it many times. A journey to the movies with a grandchild can be taxing at times -- either for the grandparent or the grandchild. One of the two is likely to squirm in his or her seat during the film. After all, after the popcorn, the milk duds and the sodas, it's time for the "attention span" and it's any one's guess as to who wins out -- the adult, or the child.

Unless the movie is called "A  Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" -- the current flick, released today, with Tom Hanks in the lead role as Fred Rogers.

For my readers -- mostly old-timers born in the 1940s...well maybe I should include the 1950s as well (Man, how fast time goes by!) -- there's no reason to go into who exactly Mr. Rogers was. Fred Rogers died in his home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on February 27, 2003. Best known, of course, for his television show, which was aired on PBS from 1968 to 2001.

Fast forward to a Friday morning -- November 22, 2019 -- and I, the grandpa...and my grandson, Chase, head for the movie theater in the town of Rifle, which sits along the Western Slope of Colorado, on I-70 between Grand Junction and Denver.

Before the movie was over I was in tears and my grandson for the most part sat quietly in his seat and  watched as Tom Hanks took over the screen for the better part of an hour and 25 minutes. I did not expect the movie to be "a learning tool" for a 10-year-old (or, maybe...in the back of my mind, I did), nor did I expect to be so moved that I was forced to use my right hand and hide a tear or two from the eyes of my grandson.

There was a moment when my grandson put his left hand on my right arm and said, "Are you okay, Grandpa?"

I took a moment and said to him there will come a time, years from now, when he would remember and recall bits and pieces of the movie. "That's what movies are all about," I said.

We walked out of the theater. There was a chill in the air. It was 39 degrees. The expected high for the day was to be 42 degrees by mid afternoon.

I looked at my grandson and eyed the beautiful mountains surrounding the town of Rifle. "You know what the best part of it all is?"

"What's that, Grandpa?"

"You've got your whole life ahead of you. Enjoy it all...the movies...the deer in your backyard...the turkeys walking up the street...your school days...your high school days...getting married and having kids."

He chuckled. I smiled and said, "let's head home."

Note: It is not unusual for Tom Hanks to move me. After all, he's the guy who talked to a volleyball for thirty minutes in, Cast Away. A great actor and his portrayal of Mr. Rogers was simply perfection.