If you ever want to feel like a celebrity. Or maybe a celebrity therapist, have lunch with your kid in the cafeteria at school.
I've done this a number of times, most recently a few minutes ago, and I'm always amazed how much kids love it. And not just my own kid. All the kids at the long cafeteria table are on board.
One of the lunchtime staff said I should return every day because the usually boisterous boys at our table were extremely well-behaved today.
Of course, I help with the usual stuff: opening cheese stick wrappers, zipping up jackets as the kids headed out to recess, etc.
But the part I like best – other than hanging with my child mid-day – is the eagerness of kids to chat.
"What's your name," asks Ralo.
"Do you work here," chimes Manuel, whom I initially mistook for his elder brother who was my child's classmate last year, and whom he resembles closely.
With this basic information in hand, the kids are ready to share. That is, everyone except for shy Savannah, who sits quietly and eats her chicken patty, following the conversation, but resisting any attempts to get her to take part in it.
"I'm learning to speak English," says Manuel, "and I speak Arabic and Greek, too."
Considering his trilingual skills, maybe Manuel is on to something when he then tells me he's done with school. He doesn't want to go anymore, because he doesn't need to go anymore. He's learned what he needs to know, he says.
But considering he's a 5-year-old all-day K4 student, I remain a little skeptical. When I joke that I really do work at the school and I was hired to convince him to stay in school and keep learning he chuckles, but stops abruptly, a little unsure whether or not I'm kidding.
Ralo blurts out something about speaking Filipino at home and then tells me his dad works at a Japanese restaurant Downtown.
"He's the boss at (the restaurant). He's in charge there," he says, adding that he's going to have a baby sister. I wonder if it's true because he also says he controls the school cafeteria.
Making a sweeping gesture with his arm, he says, "I'm in charge here."
A boy next to me admonishes. "You can't have a baby, Ralo. And you don't know if it's a boy or a girl. You won't know until it comes."
"I'm having a baby sister," Ralo assures him and changes the subject.
"What's your work called," he asks me.
"It's called OnMilwaukee.com," I tell him. "It's a website."
He smiles and says, "that's funny."
It might well be. But when I get to split mid-morning and hang out with Ralo, Manuel and his pals to chat over a PBJ, it's also pretty fun.
It's time for recess. I hug my kid, shake hands with the others – I even get Savannah to shake – zip up a few winter coats, get a high-five from Rosie and it's back to OnMilwaukee.com. Likely to the amusement of my man Ralo.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
