Davy and Goliath

When you have children, you start reliving your own childhood and remembering things that you hadn't thought of in years- beloved toys, shows and experiences.  (It's amazing how much stuff is stored in the brain.  Things you don't even know you know or remember are suddenly jarred loose.  I've told my kids, "I've forgotten more than you've learned!"  That's how I explain my stupidity.)

If you are of the same "certain age" as I am, you'll remember watching Davy and Goliath on TV in the 70's.  I remember loving the "Christian Morals" show and can easily call Goliath's voice to mind. "Well, Davy") When my daughter was much younger, I had told her about the show that I loved.  (It came up in the context of something church-y.)  But I could never find the show on tv for her...

One day, while perusing the shelves of our new town's library,  I stumbled onto a few VHS tapes of it in the library!!!  I was sooo excited!  They even had more than one episode! We studied the boxes and decided, since the holiday was approaching, we would take out the Easter episode.

I couldn't remember the details of the plot but was sure it would be a wonderful!  All the way home, I reminisced aloud  about the claymation boy and his dog.  What a build up I gave them!  (Note to self: Never over sell.) We didn't even pop it in right away.  I had dinner to make and wanted to make sure that we could devote ourselves to this shared experience.  (I wanted to indulge my inner child and sit, mouth agape, on the floor in front of the tv to soak it all in!)

Finally, the time was right.  I could devote my full attention to sharing this beloved show with my beloved daughter. (A feeling of coming full circle filled me- my mom had once watched it with me.)  It was as good as I remembered.  Goliath's voice was exactly right.  Davy was just the right amount of stop-motion-herky-jerky. Davy was spending the day with his wonderful (and very fit) Grandma and, on the show, it was almost Easter.  A perfect moment. Until...

(There had to be an until.  Nothing is ever as good as the buildup. And we don't always we never remember the entire experience. Usually the best parts are treasured and the flotsam and jetsam is tossed out of the brain.  Which is why every old movie I remember enjoying as a child has way more cursing and innuendos than I remembered. Even though they were rated PG... But, once again, I digress...)

To recap:    Davy was spending the day with his wonderful (and very fit) Grandma and, on the show, it was almost Easter.  Happy, happy, happy!  He goes home with the promise to see Grandma at his game and for Easter.  The next day, he comes home from playing with his friends and everyone is waiting for him.  Waiting to tell him that Grandma died.  Wait...  What was that? Did you hear me!? GRANDMA DIED!!! (Don't worry, we all die and rise again so chill out, little kiddies.)  Uuhhhh......  Awkward....  Sidelong glance at daughter to check for tears... This isn't the show I wanted to share scare her with! Time to start spin doctoring...

THE GRANDMA DIED?!?  I have no memory of this.  Apparently I blocked out the memory.  Who wouldn't?  A beautiful family moment.  BAM!  "Don't forget, kids, disaster can strike at any moment.  Don't be too happy. Better watch those grown ups around you.  They could keel over at any moment.  I am made of clay and my dog can talk but let's insert some terrifying reality.... " It's like a new Grimm's tale.  Morals with a sprinkling of death.  And let's not just kill wolves and wicked queens- let's use someone closer to home!

I can't believe I didn't remember that episode.  Did I supress it?  Is it repressed? Did my personality fragment as a result of the trama? (If I have been calling you saying I am someone else, let me know.)  What else don't I remember from the 70's?  Did they just replay the same PIX game over and over again and did my postcard ever really have a chance?  Was the story box on The Magic Garden" was possessed by evil spirits?  Next you're going to tell me there was another roommate that Bert and Ernie drowned in the bathtub with rubber ducky...

Well, now I've included some death in my story and here is a moral:  Pre-screen, people.  Don't trust your memories of the shows you watched as a kid.    (I have yet to learn that- sometime I'll tell you about the "Facts of Life" episode I showed the same daughter when she was older.  Oy...)  If you're lucky, the movies and shows you loved are just boring and so hopelessly dated that they are hard to watch.  If you're not so lucky, they are horrifying and damaging.  But, then again, maybe there is some nostalgic value in damaging your kids in the same ways you were damaged...

Hope your Easter and/or Passover are wonderful with good times and no yucky reality barging in!