It’s Been A Fun-Filled 4 Years

By FRANK LINGO

Wow, the last four years have been pretty wild. Ever since that magical beginning full of promise back in November 2016, we have witnessed tremendous progress.

When you watch someone with no experience take so well to the challenge at hand, that is inspirational. And if things don’t go your way, it just makes sense that you’d quickly lose patience with the people posing the problems.

So sure, there’ve been fits and frustrations. That comes with the territory of starting anew, right? But I have to admit it’s been worth it, even if the first couple years were pretty poopy.

So seeing the skill sets develop has been wondrous as it always is — with a new life. Yes, my granddaughter Willow was born four years ago. Who did you think I was talking about?

Oh, Donald Trump, the world’s biggest poopyhead? No, why would I waste any more time writing about that loser?

Willow has been the bright spot of the last four years for Granny and me. My grandfather name is Bopum, and it’s music to my ears when Willow calls me that.

Thru all the hideous poop that Trump has perpetrated on our republic, Willow has been a reliable respite from the revulsion. Watching her learn to crawl and then walk was thrilling. Hearing her forming words was amazing.

Now Willow says she knows all the words, so maybe she’s a little like Trump, who claimed he knew all the best words. And she can be temporarily Trumpian when she doesn’t get her way. The difference is that, in a little while she gets over her tantrum and is back to her lovable self. She doesn’t stay hellbent on revenge like Poopyhead, which happens to be Willow’s favorite insult.

A way that Willow is not like Trump is that she is capable of caring about others. Once when Willow was not quite 3, Granny was chastising me for something I’m sure I was totally innocent of, when Willow piped up and said, “Granny, be nice to Bopum.”

I enjoy making Willow laugh. She told me, “I think I’m going to like you for a long time because you’re a little bit funny.” Granny says having Willow around is an excuse for me to act like a 4-year-old.

Willow may have a future as a film director. She loves to make up scenes and assign characters for Granny, me and herself. I’m usually Bad Guy, Granny is sometimes Captain Marvel, and Willow can be Wonder Woman or Elsa from “Frozen.” So I get my just desserts — wrapped up in ropes or encased in ice and then marched off to jail.

Willow doesn’t know what a president is, but she does know that the new vice president is a girl. She won’t remember Trump. Wish Granny and I were so blissfully blessed.

Once when Granny and I were getting in the car to leave, Willow called out from about 30 feet away, “Bopum, I love you.”

Maybe with President Joe Biden we’ll have some blissful memories like that.

Frank Lingo, based in Lawrence, Kansas, is a former columnist for the Kansas City Star and author of the novel “Earth Vote.” Email: lingofrank@gmail.com.

From The Progressive Populist, February 15, 2021

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