The Truth about Bob the Builder

"How did it go so fast you'll say as we are looking back. And then we'll understand that we held gold dust in our hands." Tori Amos

One of the cornerstones of Chattanooga's downtown renaissance is the  Creative Discovery Museum. This museum, which is two blocks from the very popular Tennessee Aquarium, is two floors of discovery and fun for children of all ages.  The ground floor contains many rooms of creative opportunity for children including water play, climbing nets, archaeological exploration, a drama room, a pretend doctor's office, arts and crafts and so much more.  The second floor features special temporary themed interactive displays, a  glassed in active beehive, a reading room and an outdoor playground. 

From the time our granddaughter was old enough to walk she started enjoying the Creative Discovery Museum. Over the past five years she and I have spent dozens of blissful hours exploring every corner together.  When she was two years old the upstairs display was on the theme of Bob the Builder.  She called the display "Bobba Builder". And so the museum became "Bobba Builder" from that day,  On subsequent visits to Georgia she asked that I take her to "Bobba Builder".  When she was three years old she asked to go to "Bobba Builder". When she was four years, five years old and six years old she asked to go to "Bobba Builder."  And that of course is how I referred to the museum as well.

Last spring at the end of her second grade year we went together, as we always did when she visited us, to "Bobba Builder."  Only this time after about an hour she had seen enough and told me that she was ready to go back home.  I was disappointed that our Creative Discovery Museum days were probably nearing their  end, but I knew it had to happen.  But then as we were leaving the parking lot something happened that I didn't see coming.  From the back seat she asked,"Big Dave, if it's the Creative Discovery Museum, why do they call it Bobba Builder?"  I gulped and confessed, "Dear heart, you're the only person who calls it Bobba Builder, it has been the Creative Discovery Museum all along." And that was that.

Besides no interest in the children's museum she has expressed no desire to go back to her second favorite attraction, the Tennessee Aquarium (the "kawarium), either.  

In her bestselling book Necessary Losses, Judith Viorst states that as important as it is for us to manage our gains, it's even more important that we learn to manage our losses. As losses go, losing "Bobba Builder" was certainly not a tragedy, but it was a loss.  The Creative Discovery Museum is such a marvelous place for children and adults, but "Bobba Builder" was our special place.  No one but my granddaughter, my wife and me ever visited "Bobba Builder".  When she was here last week she didn't even mention going at all.  

As my wife and I were leaving town last Sunday to take her back home, we went downtown to the Tennessee Aquarium for her to look for something for her teacher in the gift shop.  The water in the man-made creek was cold, but was just too much to resist.  She took off her shoes and gleefully splashed through the water until we told her we needed to go.  After she bought her gift and we were walking back to the car she asked, "The next time I'm here, can we go to the aquarium?"

Although "Bobba Builder" and the "kawarium" are history, I look forward to the time together in the Tennessee Aquarium with this very grown  up little girl.  It will be so good to go. And it will be very important that we go. "How did it go so fast you'll say as we are looking back."  We can't save the time that we have together, but we can spend it.