A little help for Bawana

[Bawanna]

Can you integrate the baseball thing into the grips. I will show my ignorance of all things wood: Can they be fashioned out of ash? with a blonder finish? Can something be burned into them to make them his? ie Lousiville Slugger style? Is that stupid?

Not stupid at all, it's a great idea. I'll have to look into that. I'm not sure how ash is to work with but I could use Myrtle Wood. It's blonde. Maybe a little tactical checkering and wood burning for the Louisville slugger motif?

[jlottmc]

There are some things that would work that aren't guns, but we tend to think a lot about those here. Without knowing him, it makes it hard to figure something out. Wish I could help, but I got nothing. When I was supposed to be walking across the stage, I was getting told to get off the bus by some lunatic in a smokey bear hat with a khaki shirt, and there were these yellow footprints. Yeah, I got nothing from my folks either. Then I find out that while I was away my old man laid my scooter down and tore up the frame. Good times.

[OldLincoln]

Wow, heard about those yellow footprints. Was that Leavenworth?

[jlottmc]

No. Can we say MCRD San Diego? MCRD Paris Island has some too.

[LorenzoB]

I liked watches, so my parents took me to a store with nice watches and said I could pick one out in the $300 to $400 range. I immediately was drawn to a stainless steel Seiko chronograph and I am still wearing it now as I type 22 years later. Thanks mom and dad!

I know there are better watches out there, but I am confident I will still have this watch by the time I need a cane, and I will still appreciate the gift many years from now... more so than some consumer electronic like an iPad that will only be around for a few years before it gets replaced by some newer device... Just say'n

A watch may not be his thing, but consider a gift that is more long term than a consumer electronic. I like Tinman's idea of integrating the baseball theme into the grips. At least a gun with special grips will not end up getting recycled or in a landfill.

If you can put grips on that Para you already have, consider that AND an iPad. Instant gratification plus long term gift from the heart. That is a lot of gift, and it may set a precedent with your other kids, so be careful.

[LorenzoB]

By the way, I still have another 16 years before I have to worry about graduation gifts, so take my suggestions with a grain of salt!

[Bawanna]

This is my last son so no worry on precedence in my case.

With electronics now days it seems only a matter of months before something faster better with more G's comes out. Whatever a G might be. My phone has 4 of em and I'm told that's wicked cool! I try to brag and keep up with the teckys but not too convincing since I haven't a clue what I'm talking about.

I'm moving forward on the baseball grip plan, liking that idea immensely. You guys will probably send me a bill for all this help but thats ok, worth it.

[dkmatthews]

Bawanna -- you're absolutely right about all things technology-related. Thanks to Moore's Law, anything today is obsolete before you've even learned to use it well and so they've come to be considered disposable.

I'm sorry if you've already answered this, but is he going to college? Is he not going or is he taking a lay-off from school for a short period?

One thing you could do for him or give him would be a plane ticket and some funds to use to go try out for a minor league team. Another thing that might appeal to him, since he loves the game but may not be able to participate as a player, is to send him to an umpire academy. I spent many years calling games all the way from the littlest T-ballers up to the biggest AAU ball players because I was never a superstar on the field or at bat but still love the game enough to want to be involved and help more kids find the love of the game.

[Bawanna]

Good thoughts there DK. I coached my oldest from T ball through Majors, tried to continue after the wheelchair transportation change, did one more season. Seemed to have lost all credibility so just assisted others after that.

He's talking community college (I think?). He has personal trainer aspirations.
I'll pay for that no doubt regardless and I'm happy to do it.
The first two did the community thing, trade specific.
I went directly from High School to the academy of hard knocks and I turned out semi kinda ok in a weak sort of way.

Mom wants something he can hold in his hand for a long long time.

[Alfonse]

I love the idea of a 1911 with grips from his dad. I too received luggage, a single large suit case, but failed at the time to see any message there. Asking is a great idea. I love my Para 7.45 and it is indeed a beautiful gun. It is nice to have options!

[PYROhafe]

I think the passing down of the gun, with the custom from his dad grips sounds like a great idea. If youre passing down the gun, and not putting a huge cost into it, maybe do the gun, and ask him for some ideas as well. Kind of a instant gratification, and a nice work of art (thats fun) to hold on to from dad. I have a gun that was passed to me from my dad, nothing special, just a basic p6, but its a gun ill always hold on to.

[GROTMAN]

Good thoughts there DK. I coached my oldest from T ball through Majors, tried to continue after the wheelchair transportation change, did one more season. Seemed to have lost all credibility so just assisted others after that.

He's talking community college (I think?). He has personal trainer aspirations.
I'll pay for that no doubt regardless and I'm happy to do it.
The first two did the community thing, trade specific.
I went directly from High School to the academy of hard knocks and I turned out semi kinda ok in a weak sort of way.

Mom wants something he can hold in his hand for a long long time.

Maybe you can do a joint venture..help him, and solve your other problem at the same time.. Open up a facility that can be part gun range and part gym. .
Seriously though, I do agree with all the recommendations of making him something personal from you. Everything else is just stuff and probably won't have a lot of meaning down the road. I don't remember a lot of what my dad bought me over the years but I have a lot of good memories of all the times we had together on hunting and fishing trips etc. He's 79 now and still pretty active but I only see him a couple times a year and still appreciate when we do stuff together cuz never know.. Stuff doesn't matter in and of itself..so put something of you in whatever you give him and will definitely make an impact for a lifetime.