19 Things Boys Need Growing Up

    

As I look back on the life I lived, I seem to focus a lot on my childhood.  I think most anyone does. As the time between now and then grows longer, our memories seem to grow fonder. However, I readily admit that life is mostly better nowadays, although it’s a lot more complicated. 

Nevertheless, many of us still pine for the simple days of long ago; the days before social media and iPhones ruled kid’s lives. The days when Google was a set of World Book Encyclopedias. 

There are lots of people, places, and things that were important to me when I was growing up (not including parents or siblings- that’s a given). All of them certainly enriched my childhood, and many of them gave me life lessons I still use to this day. Some of them got me in trouble, some of them gave me a heartache - of course, now I can see that it was all part of the growing up experience.  

Let me list a few of mine for you. I hope it makes you think about some of your own.  

A BB Gun.  It made you feel like a grown up.  It also taught you responsibility. 

A pocket knife.  You were allowed to possess something that can be used for good or bad - to create or destroy. 

A pedal tractor.  Once you got on a pedal tractor, you quickly find out that moving forward is up to you. 

A dog.  There is no better way to learn about loyalty and unconditional love. 

A Monopoly game.  To help you acquire patience. 

A two-wheeled bicycle. This was the first thing you owned that gave you a yearning to travel. Learning how to ride it did wonders for my young self esteem. And helped my sense of balance.  And taught me about skinned knees. 

Mercurochrome. Closely related to the bike.  All of us need to know that sometimes it hurts to heal. 

An unassembled model airplane kit. If  you’ve ever put one together, you learned about dealing with frustration. And the fact that airplane glue sticks to anything - but the model. 

A first girlfriend.  To remember for the rest of your life. 

A best friend -  In time, you will discover that this is one of your most valuable possessions. 

A vacant lot. Every child needs a place to explore, discover, and imagine.  

A hideout / clubhouse. Tied closely to the vacant lot. The first thing you ever built - it was a physical manifestation of your imagination. It was made from logs, brush, discarded Christmas trees, and scrap lumber that came from who knows where. 

A high school sweetheart. You’ll discover both the joy of love and the pain of loss. 

A favorite teacher.  Gave you a role model outside of your family.

A favorite TV show.  Mine was the Man From U.N.C.L.E.  Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin. It was the first time I saw what cool guys acted like. And it was full of girls, guns, and gadgets. That’s a pretty good list for grownup men today. 

A cardboard box full of comics. You’d be a millionaire if you kept them, but your Mom threw all of them away. 

A flashlight.  Your first true gadget, It allowed you to read comic books in bed after your Mom said,”Lights out!”

A two story house. I don’t know why, but growing up, I always wanted to live in one. Maybe it was a sense of mystery, a place to get away. It’s probably why I have one today.  And now, I hardly ever go upstairs.  

A Favorite Movie.  For me, The Day The Earth Stood Still takes first prize. Scary. And the original black and white film made in the fifties still holds up well today. My three boys would undoubtedly pick the Goonies. It was and is the ultimate boy movie. It had it all: a neighborhood gang, a noble quest, really bad guys, treasure, and secret passages. I love it too.  A close second is Stand By Me. 

I wonder what my Dad’s favorite movie would’ve been. Probably Gone With The Wind or The Wizard of Oz.  The other part of his list surely looked a lot different than mine. Many of the things that influenced me didn’t even exist during his boyhood.

But I believe that dogs, teachers, sweethearts, and best friends would’ve made Dad’s list. And his Dad’s, and his Grand Dad’s, and his Great-Granddad’s. 

Some things never change. Thank goodness.