If you ever try to talk to a boy about politics, history or religion, it soon becomes apparant that he has yet to absorb much of the background information that shapes larger society. Part of the beauty of kids is that they are not so closed minded and bitter as grown ups. Maybe we need to stop intelectualizing alone (or with adults) so much and try to see the world from a young friend's perspective, even if it's just for a few minutes. Hanging with a child is like meditation. Just a few minutes a day can radically change how we experience the rest of the day. Boys are like leaving the narrow rigid mainland in favor of the breezy, stormy, achingly beautiful islands. |