Yes…Chance. Chance Payton Bryant, my friend Steve Bryant’s son. You have to admit, the kid has a memorable name because who hasn’t played Monopoply. Heck, McDonald’s is doing their annual collect-the-stickers game again, coincidence?
I have only met the little guy twice. The first time was in 2001 with my grandmother’s terminal illness and funeral. He was still a baby then. Not much interaction between the two of us, other than me singing Broadway show tunes calm him down. What could I do, he was a bit upset with me holding him and I instinctively went with “My Defenses Are Down” from Annie Get Your Gun. It certainly drew chuckles from his parents Steve and Patty; a joke explained by Nathan Lane on another day. Our next meeting was at Rad and Kim’s wedding in 2002 which was an awesome weekend in Phoenix. He’d grown a whole lot. Pretty big for a kid over two, then again, I’m no expert on child development. Chance certainly did prove I’m definitely not a patient adult neither. There was no ugly scene or confrontation. I just demonstrated how I’m pretty ignorant on the behavior of children underoing the terrible twos. I have to applaud Steve and Patti responding in unison to my question of who’s really in charge, “he is,” they said.
I’m sure he’s a totally different person these days if I’m living proof. My parents said I was pretty good growing up as they lectured me about what an antichrist I had become from grade school on. Despite the divorce that followed between Steve and Patty, I think Chance has a cool set of parents to raise him. Patty? I’m sure she’s still a diehard vegetarian, can teach him all about insurance through her gig at State Farm and other things I don’t know right now (we weren’t very close). Steve on the other hand, we go back to 1991 so I know Chance will be knowledgeable about superheroes, art, music, cool movies of all genres and clever jokes. The next meeting with Chance and me will hopefully be here in Austin should I find a way to get Steve down here as a business expense with his comic book career.
Oh, the Payton part of his middle name? Yes, he is named after Walter Payton of the Chicago Bears. His father is a big Bears fan. Steve must’ve been able to out negotiate Henry Kissinger to have Patty agree to that one, unless she’s equally fanatical.