Most people start the year by making resolutions they have no intention of keeping. My family, on the other hand, began the new year by greeting, with cheerful resolution, a lovely little gift that we have every intention of keeping. Little Carmen Amparo Zamora Borra already has quite a substantial following on Facebook, as news of her birth was greeted with a spontaneous outpouring of joy last seen when the Red Sox finally ended their pennant drought in 2004.
And while Carmen Amparo's arrival was not accompanied by a total lunar eclipse (a poignant moment which many Red Sox fans recount, with sacramental solemnity, whenever they talk of the night in which they finally overcame the Curse of the Bambino) it was distinguished by my re-discovery of a classic epic fantasy movie that sustained me during my childhood:
Interestingly enough, whenever I think of my kids' futures, I always end up praying that the formative experiences of their youth would be cooler than mine. As a thin, devastatingly handsome, and brilliant young 3rd grader, I was often the object of scorn and derision from my less gifted contemporaries. A retreat into epic fantasy was the only way I could conceal my nascent gifts until the time comes when I could reveal myself in my startling splendor and take my rightful place as...
Well, let's just say that a retreat into fantasy was less an option than a categorical imperative. I pray that Carmen will enjoy entertainment as lovingly crafted, and substantial as that John Ritter movie, The Flight of Dragons.
