On one Friday evening, we decided to go to Mellow Mushroom. Gavin (8), Sammy (11) and My Canadian Man (Bill) went ahead of me to get a seat and to order. I came from work 10 minutes after they got there. When I arrived, Gavin was in full swing talking at Bill getting right up in his ear so he could hear really well and when Bill would turn his head the slightest bit, Gavin would physically put his hand on Bill's cheek and pull his face over to reel his attention back in to focus on what Gavin was telling him.
Gavin's topic... Jackie Robinson.
Apparently Gavin read a book at school all about Jackie Robinson. So he regurgitated what he learned....ALL OF IT.
The mini Biography on Jackie Robinson by Gavin Martin went as follows (say all of Gavin's part with a lisp):
"Did you know that Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play major league baseball. "
"His dad died when Jackie was young and his mother had to worked as a house keeper to support her 5 children and they live with family to make ends meet."
" Yea and when he went to sweep the side walk as a kid, he would pretend that the broom was a baseball bat."
"Oh and you know he ran track, played basketball, football annnndddd (said just like it is spelled) in college."
" Anndddd Jackie Robinson played in the Negro Leagues before the was recruited by the Brooklyn Dodgers."
" Branch Rickey, Vice President of the Brooklyn Dodgers, asked Jackie to come an play with the Dodgers. Rickey thought segregation was wrong and so he recruited Jackie to play."
" It was very sad that Jackie had very few friends on the team because he was black. His best friend on the team was Pee Wee Reece who was Dodger's team captain. "
"There was a petition being signed to get Jackie kicked off the team because he was black and Pee Wee Reese refused to sign it. "
"Other teams sent out death threat to Jackie and his family because they wanted Jackie to quit."
"Jackie helped the Dodgers win the World Series in 1955."
About this time I tried to talk about something else. Gavin cut me off so quick. Jackie facts were still running ramp-pit in his head.
"Anndd he was the first black person to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame."
Then a friend of our came and joined us but did not get to talk because Gavin demanded we hear about Jackie. Gavin had such passion about Jackie and his life story that none of us could break up his fact giving mission.
"You know he died in 1973."
Sammy finally pipes in and says "No he did not. He just died like in the 90's."
I think Gavin was a little upset that until now Sammy could care less about what he was saying. Sammy was engrossed in his IPad until company arrived at the table. Then Sammy probably just wanted to make Gavin look stupid. Gavin wasn't having any of that! This was Gavin's platform for attention and he was not going to let Sam ruin it.
"SAAAM he did not! " Gavin said loudly. "He died in 1973."
Sam said loudly back "Gavin NO HE DIDN'T! He died a lot later."
"Uhhhhgh! Sam I just read the book. I know when he died."
A real argument was beginning to ensue.
"OK OK boy I'll look it up. Stop fussing. " I said.
I looked it up on my handy phone.
"Well You were both wrong he died in '72 but Gavin you were pretty close."
And Gavin adds "Sammy, you were still really wrong!"
Those fights will never stop!
Gavin was pretty happy about being so close he felt the need to feed us more Jackie facts.
Jackie also was bla bla bla .... and so on .... and so on....
The husband and I were thrilled by the knowledge he had gained that we did not want to discourage him from talking about Jackie but we couldn't take it any more.
We were looking for a break in Gavin's one sided conversation. Finally a 1/2 second lull and Gavin starts back up when Bill interjects trying to be kind and not hurt Gavin's feelings "Gavin we are so impressed with your knowledge of Jackie Robinson and we appreciate you sharing ALL OF IT with us but could we maybe......"
Gavin cuts him off and says "GIVE KNOWLEDGE A REST?"
Ha Ha Ha Yes Gavin that is just what we were thinking GIVE KNOWLEDGE A REST!
We have not heard about Jackie's life since and are afraid to ask. One thing is for sure... all synapses are firing in that brain of Gavin's.
