I have three children, two boys and a girl. Growing up each child showed a fleeting interest in modeling. Each of the boys built a model car and my daughter built an Area 51 space ship, not the big round Testors thing but the one with all the little aliens in it. None of them seem to really be bitten by the modeling bug and I had become resolved to just entertaining myself with the models and the kids developed other interests like music, after school jobs and dating. Can’t really blame them, those things are pretty important to a teenager. The oldest boy graduated from college last December and moved across the country to live and work in Seattle Washington, the middle boy is in his second year at college and the girl is a high school senior now.
I talk to the boys quite often via instant messenger and was talking to the eldest a few nights ago when he asked me about airbrushes. I’m thinking ‘he is a computer engineer, what does he want with an airbrush?’ Seems he has taken an interest in building models all of a sudden, Gundam models and has hooked up with a group of other engineers who all are just starting the plastic adventure. So now I am having these conversations with him discussing the various airbrushes and their benefits while posting links to items at Dixie Art. We talk about brands of paint and what thinners to use and how to fill a seam and where to use rare earth magnets on a figure. It certainly warms an old mans heart but I have to wonder why this happened now when he lives so far away. It would have been so nice to be able to stand behind his shoulder and watch him airbrush that figure and offer that piece of advise here and there or to demonstrate the correct manner of cleaning an airbrush.
So the conversations continue over several days when last night he mentions that his girlfriend (X-Box marketing engineer with a supermodel figure – lucky kid) is building models with him also and has several little slices in her thumb from trimming parts. They have not heard of Xuron sprue cutters yet – I fixed that. I suggested he show her where that fingernail file can come into play. My wife barely tolerates my modeling passion, could be worse at least she does tolerate. I think I need to buy a plane ticket to Seattle, seems there are a few nice aircraft museums out there and I have this image in my head of the three of us sitting around a table in a room with a view of the harbor building models …. maybe it should be a one-way ticket. Hmmmm.
I keep hearing that song by Harry Chapin "Cat's in the cradle" - I'm gunna be just like you dad.