TiHabanero

Working in my shop this morning slotting chain stays for drop outs as I listen to Peter, Paul and Mary, and Puff the Magic Dragon comes on and I started to listen to the words and one line got to me, put down my tools and wept. The line about the little boy for whom the magic of Puff is no longer there reminded me of my son, who is grown and living the life. He used to hang out with me in the shop and felt so important when I had him "help" me build things. Those magical days of his childhood are long gone.

I thank God for the time we spent together working on projects in his youth. Should he have grandkids, you know where they will spend time with me...making magic in the shop, of course!

TimothyH

My daughter left Atlanta by car Monday and arrived today in Berkeley, CA for graduate school.

I'm proud of her but part of me is missing.

I thank God for having granted me the gift of raising her.


-Tim-

TiHabanero

When I lived in San Francisco we called it Bizerkly. Those were the LSD days, naked students protesting on campus, and Saturday In The Park. Fond memories.

My daughter left the house last fall and is working in DC. It really hit me this past winter and understand "empty nest" now. Not as promising as I once thought it was. I'd rather have my kids home with me, but I also understand they need to live lives of their own. Cest La Vie. As a film photo enthusiast, we have lots of pics to look back on and recall the best days of our lives.

BobbyG

True story.

Before I learned to read, I learned the song, "Puff, the Magic Dragon" by the singing trio Peter Paul & Mary. I mean, how could I not. It came out when I was one years old. It was on the radio constantly, sometimes on TV, and it was about a dragon. It even mentioned walking "along the cherry lane", and Cherry Lane was the name of a street a block over from the street I lived on.

Well, one night last year at 56 years of age I was flipping through the TV channels and caught a show about Peter Paul & Mary. Eventually they got to the song "Puff, the Magic Dragon" I remembered the words I learned over 50 years ago and sung along in my head (although I'm sure my lips were moving). And then they get to the line, "Little Jackie Paper, loved that rascal, Puff; and brought him strings and ceiling wax, and other fancy stuff..." and I thought...

"what the hell is 'ceiling wax'?"

And then, 50 years later I realized it's 'sealing wax', like they used to use to 'seal' letters and correspondence in the old days before self-adhesive envelopes.

After all, I knew what 'floor wax' was; our black and white TV was filled with commercials for it, and they even gave it away on game shows. My illiterate pre-school mind figured there must also be wax for making ceilings more attractive. And I guess having learned the song lyrics so young, never really read them before.

Now I wonder what else I got wrong.

jppe

What a great memory! Similar story here. My oldest daughter graduated from college and had an adventurous spirit. She found both a job and apartment online but they were 2000 miles away in Tucson!?!?! I loaded up my van and her Jeep and moved here out there. My bike went with me and I got to climb Mt Lemmon on that trip. Her job was nice but didn’t pay much and her apartment was not something I’d have chosen. I wasn’t sure I wanted to leave her in that situation. But she gave me a big hug and said she’d be just fine.

Every song I listened to on the 2000 mile drive back to NC made me think about leaving my daughter and I cried for 3 straight days! It all worked out and she now has lots of new stories and memories to share.

Lemond1985

OP, under no circumstances should you listen to this song, you'll be emotionally-devastated, just like millions of weeping listeners before you.

Jim from Boston

Puff Dragon BittersweetThanks for this poignant thread, @TiHabanero, My story (in contrast).

Our son left Boston for college in Michigan, our our alma mater in our native home state with a lot of family there. So we visit a couple times a year. He was a world traveler in High School, College, and afterwards.

He moved back to Boston and has an honorable career. We rent him a condo we own in our building (at below market rates) and while he is independent of us, we mutually interact for our benefit. Our adult daughter OTOH is developmentally disabled, and non-verbal. It was heartbreaking when my wife decided, for her own good, at age 18 she should move to a residential facility for special needs children, away from our home, the only one she knew, and one that knows her well, and understands her unique needs and wants.

Fortunately, it was a loving place, about 20 miles away, and she thrived and matured, and came home on weekends for activities we knew she enjoyed.

At age 22 she had to move into an adult residential facility, somewhat less personal than the prior, but she seems well cared for, and easily transitions from there to weekend visits with us and back. All her life she has had to deal with our, and others' care for her, and we really can't explain to her what’s going on. Nonetheless, she’s patient and wonderful.

As @TimothyH knows in the Nicene Creed recited at Mass, while,“He (Christ) ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.” I speculate that she (and others like her) will be sitting in His lap. My musical kryptonite is “Daddy’s Little Girl” by the Mills Brothers:

“You're the end of the rainbow, my pot of gold
You're Daddy's Little Girl to have and hold
A precious gem is what you are
You're Mommy's bright and shining star.

You're the spirit of Christmas; my star on the tree
You're the Easter Bunny to Mommy and me.
You're sugar, you're spice, you're everything nice
and you're Daddy's Little Girl.”

berner

Just over a week ago I was in Newport, R. I. (8 miles away) sailing with a friend. It was the week-end of the Newport Folk Festival, a popular outdoor concert held at Fort Adams overlooking the harbor. Many people anchor their boats next to the fort and listen to the concert for free. I learned several days later that James Taylor had been out boating with friends and family when he pulled up in their boat and joined the concert for a song or two. Had I known he'd be their we would have anchored also.

My biggest and best concert experience was 20 years ago, at least, at another outdoor concert in Newport with Harry Belafonte, another outstanding performer. Everyone left the concert wearing huge smiles. As for Peter, Paul and Mary, I still dial them up on You Tube and enjoy them as much now as way back then. I've also caught Santana on You Tube and it is amazing that more than 50 years later, from Woodstock to now, he is still performing with as much energy as when he was a young man.

John E

I grew up with music, notably Romantic Period "classical" and American folk, two (of several) genres I still treasure today. My brother and one of my high school pals sang and played guitar, mostly folk and similar music. When my friend started dating again following a divorce, he seemed to seek out "Mary Travers lookalikes," and eventually married one. Around 1970 my college sweetheart (now wife) and I attended a PP&M concert. Although we sat way back in the "starving students" section of the balcony of the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, it was a delightful experience. Time to pass the music legacy on to my grandsons, now age 4 and 2.

indyfabz

Interesting read debunking the rumor, apparently started by "Newsweek," about the song's alleged drug references:

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/puff/

Rollfast

I simply miss Mary.