Tango with A RAT!
One of my life’s most bizarre events happened while I was living in Tennessee. I was a grad student and working the night shift at a local hospital, so I did not actually witness the event myself! I am relying on what my first wife, Carol, told me (although I did eventually meet the rodent causing all the excitement).
I wish I could have watched her as she tangoed with the rat that dropped into our kitchen for an unexpected visit. I’m not sure what I would have done if I had been there, but I'm certain I would have done one of three things: laughed, screamed with fear, or danced with the rat myself.
This event occurred while we were living in Lenoir City, a small town about 20-25 miles outside of Knoxville. The house we were living in belonged to a professor at the University of Tennessee who had invited us to stay there while he and his wife spent the summer in New England.
The morning of Carol’s Tango, she got up early to clean the kitchen while our son Paul slept. She was washing the dishes when she heard a loud noise, turned and watched the stove vent come crashing down onto the stove. To her surprise, there was a large rat about the size of a cat sitting on top of it. This rat must have been living in the attic, then fallen through the ductwork, causing the vent to come tumbling down.
The rat and Carol were both startled and temporarily frozen in time. At first all they did was stand and stare, eyeball to eyeball, as though they were in some kind of trance. Finally, Carol screamed and scared the rat who then leapt at her. She screamed again but had the presence of mind to grab a nearby broom and swing it at the rat to keep it from getting out of the kitchen.
Her swinging broom swept the rat towards the open back door. Carol was fighting to protect her son, sleeping upstairs. The rat was trying to avoid being hit by a frightened, mad mother swinging a broom.
Eventually Carol succeeded in getting the rat out the door, but unfortunately there was a screen door preventing it from going outside. Thinking quickly Carol slammed the door and trapped the rat between the two doors. It couldn’t go anywhere but up, so it climbed up the screen and put its nose against the window in the kitchen door and watched Carol as she worked.
A short time later Paul got out of bed and came downstairs. Carol warned him about the rat and asked him to leave the kitchen door closed. Being a typical three-year-old boy, he wanted to see for himself, so he walked over to the door and opened it. The rat saw a chance to escape, so it stuck its head out in anticipation of a quick run across the kitchen floor. Paul saw it and did what any brave three-year old would do—scream. Then his reflexes kicked in, and he slammed the door shut, catching the rat by the neck! With all its power, the rat pulled its head free, only to find itself back in its trap between the screen door and the kitchen door!
When I got home the rat was still caught between the two doors. Carol and I tried to figure out a way to get rid of him, but before our plan was completely formulated a neighbor came along and solved the problem. Not noticing the trapped rat, she opened the screen door, allowing it to escape.
Even though Carol was frightened, she valiantly tangoed with that rat because she recognized the potential danger to her son. She battled with the ‘giant rodent’ like she fought every battle she ever encountered, to win! As parents, when we recognize hidden rats with the potential to endanger our children beyond their capacity to safely handle it alone, we step in and help fight the battle. That’s what good parents DO!
I wish I could have watched her as she tangoed with the rat that dropped into our kitchen for an unexpected visit. I’m not sure what I would have done if I had been there, but I'm certain I would have done one of three things: laughed, screamed with fear, or danced with the rat myself.
This event occurred while we were living in Lenoir City, a small town about 20-25 miles outside of Knoxville. The house we were living in belonged to a professor at the University of Tennessee who had invited us to stay there while he and his wife spent the summer in New England.
The morning of Carol’s Tango, she got up early to clean the kitchen while our son Paul slept. She was washing the dishes when she heard a loud noise, turned and watched the stove vent come crashing down onto the stove. To her surprise, there was a large rat about the size of a cat sitting on top of it. This rat must have been living in the attic, then fallen through the ductwork, causing the vent to come tumbling down.
The rat and Carol were both startled and temporarily frozen in time. At first all they did was stand and stare, eyeball to eyeball, as though they were in some kind of trance. Finally, Carol screamed and scared the rat who then leapt at her. She screamed again but had the presence of mind to grab a nearby broom and swing it at the rat to keep it from getting out of the kitchen.
Her swinging broom swept the rat towards the open back door. Carol was fighting to protect her son, sleeping upstairs. The rat was trying to avoid being hit by a frightened, mad mother swinging a broom.
Eventually Carol succeeded in getting the rat out the door, but unfortunately there was a screen door preventing it from going outside. Thinking quickly Carol slammed the door and trapped the rat between the two doors. It couldn’t go anywhere but up, so it climbed up the screen and put its nose against the window in the kitchen door and watched Carol as she worked.
A short time later Paul got out of bed and came downstairs. Carol warned him about the rat and asked him to leave the kitchen door closed. Being a typical three-year-old boy, he wanted to see for himself, so he walked over to the door and opened it. The rat saw a chance to escape, so it stuck its head out in anticipation of a quick run across the kitchen floor. Paul saw it and did what any brave three-year old would do—scream. Then his reflexes kicked in, and he slammed the door shut, catching the rat by the neck! With all its power, the rat pulled its head free, only to find itself back in its trap between the screen door and the kitchen door!
When I got home the rat was still caught between the two doors. Carol and I tried to figure out a way to get rid of him, but before our plan was completely formulated a neighbor came along and solved the problem. Not noticing the trapped rat, she opened the screen door, allowing it to escape.
Even though Carol was frightened, she valiantly tangoed with that rat because she recognized the potential danger to her son. She battled with the ‘giant rodent’ like she fought every battle she ever encountered, to win! As parents, when we recognize hidden rats with the potential to endanger our children beyond their capacity to safely handle it alone, we step in and help fight the battle. That’s what good parents DO!
Happy Failing Forward,
Calvert
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