Reisman: A Father's Day column, 18 days later

Jim Maisano is a gregarious politician, but he won't be heartily shaking hands with any of his 55,000 constituents for quite awhile.

"I can't even tie my friggin' shoes right now," the Republican county legislator from New Rochelle said. "I can't do anything."

Maisano broke his right wrist, badly, in a fall. For proof, just take a look at the photo he posted online which shows him in bed with a giant cast and a Vicodin-induced smile.

Voters assess their elected public servants at the polls — and, bum wing notwithstanding, Maisano has had a pretty good run. Indeed, he's won every legislative race since 1997. Last year, he ran against a weak opponent, a "tomato can" in boxing parlance, and won big. No one is opposing him this year — so don't take this as any kind of official endorsement because he wins re-election no matter what I say.

But whether you vote for him or not, there can be no dispute that Maisano is a good dad — which is the whole point of this Father's Day column, even though it's 18 days late in coming.

The broken wrist was the accidental result of a father's wish to bond with his son.

You see, Maisano had a "kids-these-days " epiphany. Kids these days, he perceived, are soft and out of shape. They're babied and, as a result, physically weaker than previous generations.

Maisano declared war against sloth, saying, "Take away the damn video games and make them do physical activities outside!"

When his 14-year-old son, Mikey, announced his desire to go out for the high school soccer team, Maisano was all in favor of the idea, but with a caveat: First the boy would have to undergo a rigorous summer-long fitness program at home.

It entailed a daily regimen of calisthenics, weightlifting and 2- to 3-mile runs. Maisano served as a sergeant in the Marine Corps so, naturally, he called the conditioning plan "Maisano Boot Camp."

Mikey, who was capable of doing only one chinup, wouldn't be alone in the undertaking. Maisano and his wife, Jean Barno Maisano, were committed to doing the grueling exercises as well.

Maisano regularly recorded their progress on Facebook. On June 1, he wrote, "AND SO IT BEGINS…You may think I'm a crazy parent, but I think it's tough love. And he gets Sunday off! He did well on Day 1. OOH RAH!"

By the fifth week, boot camp was "going terrific." Mikey was getting stronger and faster. He took a full minute off his time running a 2.25-mile course. He was up to 13 chinups.

Drill Instructor Maisano was doing well, too.

"I think I should start a personal trainer business," he wrote on Facebook. His posts were graced with a multitude of "likes" and encouraging comments.

County Board Chairman Mike Kaplowitz, a Somers Democrat, joked, "If I was your son, I would run away from home."

The Maisanos were looking forward to a beach vacation in North Carolina. "But I think Mikey and I are in such great shape from our workouts that the sharks will be scared of us," Maisano said in a recent post. "Marines eat sharks for lunch….OOH-RAH!"

Then came Monday, the day of the accident. "We were doing the box jump," Maisano told me. "Have you ever done the box jump?"

It's a 15-inch standing jump exercise, good for the hamstrings and lower back.

"I hit the thing wrong coming down, fell backward and fractured my wrist," Maisano said. "It was ugly, a total freak injury."

He will be in a cast for six to eight weeks. In the meantime, the trip to North Carolina will have to be canceled. Other favorite summer activities such as swimming, kayaking and tennis are on hold.

Jean Maisano quipped: "A lawyer with a fracture and he can't even sue anybody. Are you kidding me?"

The good news is that Maisano won't need surgery. Even better news is that his son is continuing to work out. He's gaining strength and confidence. Fourteen is such a critical age.

"He's going to keep going," Maisano said "He's not done. I just sit there with a whistle now and supervise."

It's a little late, I know, but it's never too late. Happy Father's Day.

Twitter: @philreisman