The Terminator, Pop-Pop, and a DeLorean
A Sunday Matinee Adventure
It was a Sunday matinée, and the feature was The Terminator. The choice belonged to my teenage grandson, Timmy. His father had recently taken him to Universal Studios, and after experiencing the park's attractions, Timmy wanted to see the classic science-fiction film that had inspired so much of what he had seen.
We left the theater impressed. Somehow, the original movie had delivered a more compelling experience than the elaborate 3D attractions at Universal. There was something about the original Terminator that even the most sophisticated special effects and theme-park simulations couldn't quite reproduce. Perhaps it was the story, perhaps the suspense, or perhaps there is simply no substitute for the original.
As we walked along, comparing the movie with the Universal experience, we passed Dave & Buster's. Timmy suddenly wondered whether they had a Terminator arcade game.
"We can check it out," I said casually.
I hadn't even finished the sentence before he was through the door, already asking an employee whether they had the game.
Unfortunately, they didn't.
But something else caught my attention: a room devoted entirely to pinball machines.
My eyes lit up. Pinball had been one of my favorite diversions back in middle school.
"Timmy, there's something interesting in that room. Let's take a look."
He followed, somewhat reluctantly.
"Looks like a museum room," he muttered.
And then we spotted it, tucked away in the far corner: Terminator Pinball.
"That looks like a table, Pop-pop."
"No, no. Let me show you how it's played."
I fed a dollar into the machine. Suddenly, electronic music burst from the speakers. Colored lights flashed across the playing field, targets blinked, and a steel ball shot into action with a familiar metallic clatter. The flippers snapped, bumpers rang like tiny bells, and the machine came alive in a frenzy of lights, sounds, and mechanical mayhem.
For a moment, I was transported back to middle school. I could almost see myself standing in front of an old pinball machine, eyes following the silver ball as it ricocheted between bumpers, chasing flashing targets and triggering another round of bonuses. The anticipation, the quick fingers, the satisfaction of keeping that little ball alive for just a few more seconds—it all came rushing back.
My fingers found the familiar buttons. I was ready to show Timmy how it was done.
Unfortunately, nostalgia doesn't improve reflexes.
Five steel balls disappeared down the drain in what seemed like a matter of minutes. Apparently, the intervening decades had taken their toll on my timing, coordination, and youthful enthusiasm. My pinball career was not enjoying a revival.
Now it was Timmy's turn.
"Let me show you how to beat the Terminator," I announced, trying to salvage some parental authority.
Another dollar went into the machine.
Timmy approached the controls with his trademark bottomless enthusiasm. The game began, and almost immediately he was absorbed. The steel ball ricocheted between flashing targets, bounced off bumpers, climbed ramps, and triggered a chorus of electronic explosions. Every successful shot brought another burst of lights and another round of sound effects. His score climbed, bonus points accumulated, and extra games kept appearing.
Unlike his Pop-pop, Timmy seemed to have discovered the secret.
His fingers were flying, his concentration absolute. He leaned into the machine as though the fate of the world depended on keeping that steel ball in play. The score kept climbing, and the game seemed determined to reward him with one more chance.
Watching him, I began to wonder whether this enthusiasm for pinball might actually be genetic. Perhaps the old middle-school fascination had skipped a generation and found a more capable pair of hands.
Eventually, after an impressive score, numerous bonus games, and what must have been exhausted fingers, Timmy decided it was time to collect his winnings. He gathered the long strips of prize tickets, and we headed toward the redemption counter, counting our haul along the way.
The attendant took one look at the tickets.
"That's a big win!" she exclaimed, pointing toward the top shelf.
There it was: a shiny DeLorean.
I had always wanted to own one.
"That explains why you dressed up as Marty McFly last Halloween," I commented, straightening my white hair.
"Yes, Doc!" Timmy replied with a grin.
And just like that, we walked out of the prize room proudly carrying our brand-new DeLorean—a fitting souvenir from an afternoon that had somehow transported two generations through time.
On our way out, we passed the billiard room. There, standing near a table, was an old nemesis: Jack.
"Herald, I can beat you any time, Nerd," he announced.
Some things never change.
"Challenge accepted, Jack. I'll go first."
I picked up a cue and approached the table. The fifteen colored balls were tightly packed in their familiar triangular formation, waiting for the opening break. I studied the arrangement, planted my feet, lowered my head, and carefully lined up the cue ball.
Then I drew the cue back and struck.
CRACK!
The sound echoed through the room. The cue ball slammed into the center of the rack, sending the colored balls exploding in every direction. Stripes and solids scattered across the green felt like marbles released from a slingshot. One ball raced toward a corner pocket, another disappeared into the side pocket, and two more followed in quick succession. The remaining balls ricocheted off one another and the cushions, rolling in different directions before several found their way into the pockets.
For a moment, the table looked as if someone had opened a trapdoor beneath the entire rack.
Jack stood motionless, his confident expression suddenly replaced by disbelief.
I straightened up, trying not to look too pleased with myself.
Some things, apparently, hadn't changed.
As we headed for the exit, Timmy looked at me with genuine admiration.
"I didn't know you were such an excellent billiards player, Pop-pop!"
Then came the inevitable follow-up.
"That explains why you're so bad at pinball."
I straightened my white hair once more, looked at him, and smiled.
"I never liked Biff."
After all, some things are better left in 1985.
Book Club Edition
The Terminator, Pop-Pop, and a DeLorean
A Sunday Matinee Adventure
1. Book Club Summary
The Terminator, Pop-Pop, and a DeLorean is a humorous memoir about an ordinary Sunday outing that becomes an unexpected journey through memory, family, and popular culture.
The adventure begins when a teenage grandson, Timmy, chooses to watch The Terminator, inspired by his recent visit to Universal Studios. After the movie, the two discover a Dave & Buster's arcade. Their search for a Terminator arcade game leads them instead to a pinball machine featuring the very movie they had just watched.
For Pop-Pop, the discovery awakens memories of middle-school afternoons spent playing pinball. Confident that experience will prevail, he challenges the machine, only to discover that nostalgia hasn't preserved his reflexes. Timmy takes over, demonstrating remarkable skill and enthusiasm.
His impressive performance earns enough prize tickets to claim a miniature DeLorean, the iconic time machine from Back to the Future. The prize becomes an unexpected bridge between generations, especially when Timmy's Marty McFly Halloween costume inspires a playful exchange between Marty and Doc Brown.
The afternoon concludes in the billiards room, where Pop-Pop encounters an old nemesis, Jack. Challenged to a game, he delivers an impressive opening break, reminding everyone that although his pinball skills may have faded, some talents remain intact.
Timmy's final observation—that Pop-Pop's billiards ability explains his poor pinball performance—sets up the closing reference to Biff, leaving the reader with a smile.
2. Major Themes
1. Generational connections
The story explores how grandparents and grandchildren discover common ground through seemingly ordinary activities. Movies, games, and shared jokes become a common language.
2. Nostalgia and aging
Pop-Pop revisits his youth through pinball. The experience is both exhilarating and humbling. Memories preserve the excitement, even when the reflexes have deteriorated.
3. Popular culture as a shared language
The Terminator and Back to the Future provide the framework for humor and connection. The references work across generations, allowing Timmy and Pop-Pop to share an appreciation of films from different eras.
4. Competition and self-image
Pop-Pop initially wants to demonstrate his superior experience, but Timmy outperforms him. The billiards encounter restores some of his pride.
5. The value of ordinary moments
The story suggests that memorable family experiences don't require elaborate vacations or expensive entertainment. Sometimes a movie, an arcade, and a little friendly competition are enough.
3. Ten Book Club Discussion Questions
Discussion guide
4. Literary Assessment
Element | Assessment |
|---|---|
Genre | Family memoir / humorous personal essay |
Narrative voice | Conversational, warm, self-deprecating |
Structure | Movie → arcade → pinball → DeLorean → billiards |
Central conflict | Pop-Pop's nostalgia versus Timmy's youthful abilities |
Symbolism | DeLorean as a bridge between generations |
Humor | Movie references, competitive rivalry, generational reversal |
Ending | Playful callback to 1985 |
5. The Book Club's Closing Thought
The most interesting aspect of this story is its treatment of time.
The DeLorean is supposed to transport its passengers through history. But Pop-Pop doesn't need a time machine. One pinball machine is enough to take him back to middle school, while Timmy discovers the excitement of an earlier generation.
For a few hours, the two meet somewhere between 1985 and the present.
And perhaps that is the real magic of being a grandparent: you get to revisit your childhood while watching someone you love experience it for the first time.
A question to leave the group with:
If you could take your grandchild back to one place from your own childhood—not to show them a photograph, but to experience it together—which place would you choose?
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