What is a MarVyn?

This story comes again from Clint.  It’s pure Clint!

I used to play a game with kids called “Who are you?”  The concept is to ask an individual one simple question over and over many times.  When asked “Who are you?” the first few times, kids, and adults, act silly and come up with crazy ideas of what they want to be.  With some nudging in the right direction, you generally can move things along to more meaningful answers like daughter, son, grandson, athlete, student, friend, parent, Christian, etc.  It’s a little “get to know you” exercise or a counseling tool to get a conversation going.  So without further ado, this is one recent such conversation I dreamed up while attempting to get back to sleep in the middle of the night.  Enjoy!

Clint: MarVyn, who are you?

MarVyn: I’m a boat.

C: Who are you?

M: I’m a silly little emblem.

C: Who are you?

M: I’m a mix of the names Evyn and Marley.

C: Who are you?

M: I’m defined as “sea friend” in a name search done by Clint’s mother.  No lie!  But that’s a story for another time.

C: MarVyn, who are you?

M: I’m a… I’m a….  Hummm.  Well, I guess I’m a concept.

C: A concept?  Tell me more.

M: Well, I was born out of an idea Erin and Clint had years ago.  They wanted to be truly present with their daughters while they were young.  They wanted to expose them to the world.  They wanted to have some time to be in the moment and not always running from job to school to activity to store and so on.  They wanted their daughters to grow up on their own time, not when the media, pop stars, or friends thought they needed to grow up.  They wanted them to know not everyone lives the way middle and upper class Americans live.

C: So, why do you think you’ve come to fruition now?

M: I think my concept has been in the planning for many years, but I believe Erin and Clint saw that their daughters still want to be with them for now and that may start to change as they get older.

C: So, you’re not just a boat name?

M: No, I imagine I will be an idea that lives beyond this boat as well as the next mode of transportation or home that my name adorns.

C: Speaking of name on the boat, I noticed a symbol that is on the boat.  What’s with the symbol MarVyn?

M: Oh, that.  Well, many years ago Clint had the opportunity to stay home for a few months after the family moved to Florida.  He got to spend a lot of time with his daughters on the beach.  They played, did nature walks and beach clean ups, and they cooked sand cakes and did all sorts of fun things.  Some of their favorite games were “shadow head” and digging hot tubs in the sand.

While the girls played on the beach, Clint would draw in the sand with his toe and sometimes the girls would draw or play in his drawings.  These drawings took the form of numbers, letters and shapes to help the girls learn.  Other times all three would draw fun designs.  Clint came up with a cute little fish drawing using the girl’s first initials.  Erin asked about it one day and noted that all four of our first initials were represented in the symbol.  An idea was born!

C: So, the MarVyn symbol will go with you on next journey?

M: Wait until you see it on our spaceship.