I went to orientation for Nick's middle school. One teacher said, we love the 7th graders, they are still so sweet. But once they turn into eighth graders, we don't love them as much. They are turning into high schoolers, and we are glad to see them go.
As you know, I don't have children. Furthermore, I'm not around children very often, so my expectations have a certain egalitarian aspect which is probably grossly inaccurate much of the time...
The reference which you made to the teacher at Nick's school reminds me of a conversation which I had with a friend who has been teaching for over 25 years.
I asked her how her two boys were doing and she replied that her youngest son was doing well, but that the older son was going through "that fart age".
I suppose that something about my demeanor caused her to feel that she must elaborate... It's true... my eyebrows give me away every time...
In any case, she then went on to elucidate:
"Oh, you know what I mean... That stage that all boys go through when they turn into little farts...It almost always seems to happen when they turn thirteen."
Feigning ignorance, I replied...
"Is that so?... I can't say that I've ever noticed this "fart thing" before. I'll watch for it from now on."
Since that time, I've come to pay a lot more attention to this phenomenon... and I have concluded that she was quite right... little boys, do indeed, seem to turn into little farts around the age of 13. As proof of this, I think of how the boys from next door were such good little twirps for so many years, but how, 3 or 4 years ago, things began to change. No more dropping by to visit the animals or sit around shooting the breeze...
No,... suddenly the winds of time had shifted.. The forest no longer echoed with the laughter of little boys playing tag and other wild games as they ran through the trees. They had all grown up... turned into little farts who cursed and smoked cigarettes and did other stuff.... It was all a bit sad...
But fortunately, now that they're a little older, I've discovered that they don't remain as little farts forever.... Lately, I've noticed that they're turning into butterflies... |
