As expected, Robert went from crawling, to walking, to speed-waddling in the space of a fortnight. One the great benefits of his new mobility is that my wife no longer needs to patch the knees of his overalls, which have been shredded by months of commando crawling. Another is that he and I often take little constitutionals around the neighborhood, usually in the morning as the area chugs to life.
Robert’s gait is usually forthright (picture Fred Sanford with a pressing appointment). He's a little sheep with places to go, benches to climb, dogs to befriend; I get to be the border collie and herd him away from things that are filthy and dangerous. Each day, we venture a little farther and meet a new handful of people, usually commuters, who squat down for a quick conversation or a handshake. Seeing him interact with others like this is gratifying, but it also gives me pause. He’s only 15 months old, and he already has a personality. Iron will can’t be far behind.
