Thunder Feet

My son has a superpower, but you wouldn't really know it. You see, his alter-ego, the mild-mannered, book-wormish facade he presents to the world, is so very convincing that you would never know that he also has an extraordinary ability. Yes, indeed, my son has a superpower that literally can shake the whole house when properly applied. He can wake up deep-sleeping people of all ages in the middle of the darkest nights. He can instill embarrassment into the hearts of his parents, or cause doubts into his safety when not visibly in view. He has ... Thunder Feet!

Yes, my son is a heavy walker. He walks heel-to-toe, placing each step firmly on the floor. Sometimes he goes into his room and stomps around, just because he finds it funny when we holler up the stairs for him to quit it. When he has to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, he stumbles around in his sleepy stupor and shakes the whole house; we always know when he's out of bed in the middle of the night. Just a few weeks ago, I dismissed an earthquake that was shaking the house as possibly another seismic event caused by my son. It's nothing short of extraordinary.

We have tried to teach him to walk more lightly. We've encouraged him to pretend he's a spy and to sneak around. We've even had sessions on how to walk toes-to-heel so as to avoid the heavy placement of his feet. Nevertheless, nothing works with him. He's a kid, nearly eight-years-old, and learning to walk lightly just isn't on his agenda. But that's okay. It's a superpower. Who am I to deny his true nature?