Be All You Can Be

Batman went to Home Depot with me last summer. He pushed a cart, held a door, and greeted people in the store with a firm, “I’m Batman,” when they asked the obvious question. When we got home, his face was streaming sweat and he had a red mark on his forehead where his black mask was too tight, but he was determined to remain the masked man until he was sure no one could see his real self. We dress up, and it has become a pretty elaborate game. One grandson is a knight with full chain mail and breastplate, another is an astronaut with “Crompton” spelled out right above the American flag across his lapel. The Crocodile Hunter has a six-foot croc and working headlamp. Zorro’s black peasant shirt and pants are accented with a red jeweled sword. We have a King with a fur-lined cape, crown, a staff, and a velvet bag of gold coins. And the best of all, we have a good time being whatever we want when we grow up.