A father and closely behind, his son.A couple of years ago, in our valiant effort to fit in, we brought Peter to a local Boy Scout meeting. As a mother, I was enamored with the idea of boys working together to make the world a better place as dads (and moms) mentored. We lasted one meeting. I’m not sure why we failed so epically since I know so many kids that love the organization. In their neat orange and blue uniforms, the boys were excited to make wooden cars, sell pop corn and help little old ladies across the street. When we entered into the meeting hall, I could compare my son to a dog being dragged into the vets office. The brakes were on and his eyes became saucers perhaps out of fear rather than a sense of fascination. I knew then and there that I wouldn’t have an Eagle scout in my family. I left with a similar feeling that I have felt before. We had faced the same situation with baseball just a year before. It was like there was a large 500-piece puzzle to finish and my kid was a piece from a different puzzle all together. I looked at my husband and sighed. He looked un-phased. A man that rides his bike 12,000 miles a year, runs 2000 miles and keeps people alive all day in the hospital never follows anyone else’s beat. He has the strongest convictions of anyone else I know. To understand my son, I need to look no further than my own spouse. As Peter’s age, he taught himself to row, which would eventually bring him international success. He worried little about what the other kids were doing and found himself fully content riding his bicycle to middle school no matter what the weather. His idea of entertainment was lifting every rock along the Connecticut shoreline to see what was underneath. His destiny was nobody else’s but his own. So I guess it’s best if I step back and let these boys find their own way on their own terms. I know that they are fortunate to have each other because no mold seems to fit them. And while that nice little old lady crosses the street with her boy scout, they better watch out for the crazy boys barreling down the hill on their bicycles. These boys have a way of keeping life interesting. A son and closely behind, his father.
1 Comment
7/2/2012 11:59:26 am
I give up - which one is better looking? Talk about the apple and the tree! Wow! Your kids will soooo appreciate your photos as they grow older. And, may I say, your grandchildren? Ha! History does seem to repeat itself. Don't get me wrong, Boy Scout badges are great, but individualism is amazing! Hopefully, when Kate and Pete make their family history book (as we did), they won't have the flu! Nice perspective, Jen.
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