Tuesday, October 12, 2004
Different zones.
My friend Rick told me this story the other day. I want to share it with you.
A mutual acquaintance of ours, Mark Gauger, owns a toy store here in Iowa City called the Fun Zone. Mark is a large man with an infectious laugh and a killer wit. When you speak with him, you don't feel like you're conversing with a 40-something year old man; he makes everyone feel young, in touch with their 'inner child', joyous. But he's got a serious side, too, that is as much endearing as his child-like love of pranks and wind-up toys.
In one of his window displays, he adds a little green plastic soldier for each American life lost in in our 'war against terror'. One day, a 6-year-old boy went up to Mark in the store and tugged on his sleeve. Mark asked him what he could help him with. The child pointed to the window display and asked him, "Mister, what happens when you run out of room?"
What do you say? I'm not even sure if Rick told me whether or not Mark responded to that; I was too busy forcefully expelling all the air from my lungs.
Who dat snappin' back? |
A mutual acquaintance of ours, Mark Gauger, owns a toy store here in Iowa City called the Fun Zone. Mark is a large man with an infectious laugh and a killer wit. When you speak with him, you don't feel like you're conversing with a 40-something year old man; he makes everyone feel young, in touch with their 'inner child', joyous. But he's got a serious side, too, that is as much endearing as his child-like love of pranks and wind-up toys.
In one of his window displays, he adds a little green plastic soldier for each American life lost in in our 'war against terror'. One day, a 6-year-old boy went up to Mark in the store and tugged on his sleeve. Mark asked him what he could help him with. The child pointed to the window display and asked him, "Mister, what happens when you run out of room?"
What do you say? I'm not even sure if Rick told me whether or not Mark responded to that; I was too busy forcefully expelling all the air from my lungs.
