More trucks uncle!

The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life.

- Richard Bach -

---

---

With my family being spread all over the world I tend to spend a lot of time on video-chats which gives us the chance to catch up in real time and feel somewhat closer.

Most of those video-chats revolve around my niece and nephew and, whilst there's no substitute for being with them in person, it's a chance to spend time with them doing whatever it is they are doing at the time. Building Lego, playing with toy cars and trucks, riding bikes, skiing, ice skating, drawing, writing, games of imagination and cooking are amongst the activities we've done together and, whilst they're probably too young to understand the import of the call, I get the impression they enjoy it. Laughter is a good indication of enjoyment right? Those moments are very important to me of course.

With them being so far away those video-chats are the only way I can be involved in their growing process and, almost weekly, there's some new aspect of them that helps me understand them more and love them more.

I've had conversations with my niece, @smallsteps, about her being a mouse with a fifty-metre tail or the latest character she's dressed as, the most recent being Ariel from The Little Mermaid and just about everything in between. With my nephew, who is turning four later this year, we talk about building things whilst he actually does the building and he tells me about his favourite toys, asks me questions and generally acts like a nutbag...just like his uncle G-dog. Both are very special to me and there's nothing I wouldn't do for them.

In turn I try to show them what my life is like and often send images or videos for them to look at. It's actually quite funny that they respond to my video messages answering my questions and talking to the screen as if it was a live-time video-chat. I often get requests from their parents as well and I'm always happy to oblige.

More trucks uncle!

That was last night's request. Of course, the words didn't come from the parents in that way. My nephew had seen a truck image I'd put on our WhatsApp group chat and had yelled out those words right away. Ok little nutbag, let's see what we can do for you.

Working in the trucking industry has its perks, one of which is being surrounded with some pretty legit prime movers.

We see vehicles that are already out on the road working and brand new, yet to be delivered, prime movers also and there's been some very impressive sexy beasts in the factory, all of which I get to climb onto, into and explore. It's a lot of fun. I grew up loving trucks and now as an adult...Well, I act like a big kid around them sometimes. Of course, the benefit extends to my nephew who keeps asking for more truck photos...and he gets them too.

I sent some images and, after he saw them, wanted to video-chat to show me his new toy truck and tell me about his head.

Trucks and belly bouncing

On Monday he was being a little knucklehead jumping on the bed and apparently fell, bounced off his dad's belly I'm told, and flew head-first into the power point on the wall which stopped his momentum pretty quickly. There was a lot of blood, some crying, and stitches. He's ok though, he's a tough lad and my brother is raising him in the same way our parents raised us - Accidents happen, it hurts and then life moves on.

So, the net result is a lump on the noggin, a few stitches and that's about it...Life goes on. He told me the story which he laughed throughout, especially at the part where he apparently bounced off his dad's belly, and then moved on to more important things; his trucks.

I'm not sure what he'll remember about our chats as he gets older but I hope he's gaining an understanding of who I am and what he means to me; my niece also of course.

I hope to imprint upon them an impression of their uncle and leave them with the feeling that they can come to me with anything knowing I'll be there for them.

I'll be seeing my nephew at the end of April as I'm flying the four thousand kilometres to visit, but I'll have to leave again naturally. Seeing my niece isn't as simple as she lives about as far from me as one could be, and still be on planet Earth. But we video-chat and whilst it could never be as good as seeing them in real life it is good enough for the moment.

I'm looking forward to meeting my little coconut-headed nephew at the airport in a couple months and am really looking forward to him shouting, uncle Galen! uncle Galen!, as he does. (He's usually running around the room like a lunatic at the same time.) I'm looking forward to scooping him up and giving him an uncle hug and can't think of anything better the only thing that could make it better would be for my niece to be there too.

But for now...yeah, I'd better get moving and take some more photos of trucks...I have my nephew's insatiable appetite to feed.