Even when we had guests, usually friends of the boys, joining us for dinner, we set our cleaned plates on the floor for Flyer to lick clean.

One friend assisted me with clearing the lunch table and taking the plates, bowls, and silverware to the kitchen.

I took the plates and set them in the cabinet. Joey was a bit taken aback and politely reminded me that Flyer had licked them.

“But look how clean they are, Joey! You can’t tell we just ate off them.”

I closed the cabinet door, much to Joey’s consternation.

Several hours after Joey had returned home, his mother called.

“Will you please tell Joey you were just joking and that you are going to wash the plates Flyer licked?”

Joey’s mom had actually intercepted the reuse of the plates for supper!

A week later, Joey’s dad and I were breakfasting at First Watch.

“Is this some Hoosier custom?”

I wasn’t quite following Bill’s comment until he carefully looked over the edge of the table to the floor where I had placed my plate.

Habit.

After I became a dad I stopped feeling mortified at some of my “moments.” The sons were willing to catch and make sport of these actions, eager to share with others.