Trapped by Temptation

Trapped by Temptation?

         He was named Bennett upon his birth in 1944. It meant “one who's blessed.” Little did anyone know, including the young lad, that he would be blessed. However, his blessings were not necessarily the kind that he appreciated with any frequency. This youngster grew up with the capability to resist everything except temptation! Ah, the temptations he was faced with his entire life. Not all were pleasant, but, it sure made his early childhood an ongoing adventure for him and his family!

         Early on, Bennett was constantly confronted with situations where and when given a choice, he seemingly gave into the wrong seductions. He was just plain charmed by the wrong influences that affected his maturational process. At the age of four, he and his brother often sought relief from the summer heat by turning on the yard sprinkler. They thoroughly enjoyed running through the refreshing shower it provided on hot afternoons. The problem for Bennett, however, was he didn't like to get his swim trunks wet. What was a boy to do? The decision was easy for Bennett and he made it quickly. He simply removed his trunks and ran through the showering sprinkler naked as he had been born. He, of course, could have cared less about the convention of clothing. It did, however, disturb his older brother, Bart. It was Bart's unfortunate task to look after his little brother whenever they were outside of their home. This became the pattern of their coexistence until Bennett was much older.

         Later as the boys grew older, Bart was saddled with taking his young charge to the movies. This, in itself, seemed to be a simple and straight forward activity with little regard to significant problems. Oops, anytime Bennett was involved, it was never simple. More often than not, after watching a double feature and the cartoons at the local theater, Bennett proceeded to throw a tantrum to stay and watch the cartoon a second time. His brother, having been charged to baby sit his brother to and from the theater, was given explicit orders to come straight home after the completion of the last movie. Invariably, once Bart had coerced Bennett to finally go home, Bennett would run in the house, after a quiet walk, screaming and yelling that Bart had mistreated him at the movie and he didn't enjoy any of the entertainment provided at the theater!

         It was not long as Bennett grew, he developed the habit of wandering off from home. This only occurred when he was unattended by Bart or anyone else in the family. At this particular time the little guy became infatuated by large trucks and heavy machinery working on various projects within the city limits. Heaven only knows what that little cherub would have gotten himself into had he become aware of the construction taking place on the two major highways that intersected his hometown. Bennett's short journeys from the home seemed to always coincide with the scheduled baseball game days when Bart was always spent the day preparing for each event at the ball park! Bennett had his own agenda and gave little thought to the consternation he caused Bart. Fortunately for all, Bart always succeeded in finding the little pied piper, and life was good. Bart, after spending his time finding the runaway, was released to attend his all important baseball games! Needless to say, he would have appreciated less responsibility when it came to supervising the tiny wanderer.          
         Once, when Bennett disappeared, he had gone missing for several hours! The whole family became very worried. Bart had been sent out to find Bennett, as usual, without having any success locating the whereabouts of the missing child. Their Grandpa, after being notified of the situation, left work to return home. On his journey, he passed by the parking garages, which housed the hearse and ambulance, the vehicles of the practicing undertaker-funeral director. Out of the corner of his keen eyes, he caught the faintest of movements in the black hearse parked in the garage. Wonder of wonders, it was Bennett! After he had slipped away, he had gotten into the hearse. He had enjoyed an a short game of peek-a-boo with every passer by from the confines of the Cadillac hearse. He soon became bored with the game and decided to curl up and take a nap! No one guessed that Bennett would have found solace in the hearse. However, he was Bennett and in his case, anything was possible.

         Bennett's mother and Grandma came up with a clever idea, in their minds of how to keep track of Bennett. When he was released from the confines of their home, they would pin a sheep bell to the back of this adventurous child! It seemed to work, short term. However, once the little guy learned to reach  the bell, with his chubby little fist and hold on tight, the bell was muffled. Ah ha, he was off on another adventure! The last resort of the concerned adults was to actually tie, with a rope, Bennett to the old Elm tree in the back yard. This also proved to be only a short term and mistaken solution to the runaway problem. Within moments of being secured to that old tree, Bennett began to cry and scream, as if he had been beaten unmercifully. His Grandpa's mortuary being but a block away, his mournful sounds caught the attention of his Grandpa within moments. He shot home in a flash only to find the “light of his life”  bound to the tree sobbing and tears flowing like a waterfall. Under most conditions of stress, Bennett's Grandpa was a mild and even tempered gentleman. However, upon evaluating the situation of his grandson, he let it be known to one and all, under NO circumstances would his grandson be subjected to such outrageous confinement again!

         Well as time and maturation would have it, Bennett survived an interesting childhood. He went on to become quite a well rounded teenager. He was involved with vocal music and sports throughout his days in Junior High, high school and college. He was the high school photographer for the high school newspaper. He was an editor of his high school yearbook in 1962. He graduated from college in the year of 1966. He went on to become an elementary classroom teacher for many years. It was probably his vast adventures growing up that helped him stay one jump ahead of the boys he taught over the years! Oft  he would remember, “I can resist everything except temptation.” - Oscar Wilde

   
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