The Crests lit 16 candles for a teenage queen. Janis Ian learned the truth at 17. Bryan Adams wants to be 18 till he dies. And The Boy? The Boy turns 18 today. I think he would like to light fire crackers, never learn the truth about anything, and be 16 forever. I have no idea what kind of man he will turn into. He doesn't want to grow up.
He said one of his teachers commented he will either be very creative and get rich by it or he will just be some schmoe on the street. I want him to be that creative rich guy. But right now, I'm seeing the schmoe.
I am being unfair of course. I am trying to teach him to look after himself and be responsible. He's resisting and accuses me of not being able to let go of him. The accusation is based on my having stopped giving him money for extras, for holding him accountable for his actions, for demanding that he gets up in the morning and gets to school on time. He thinks I want to keep him close to me by curtailing his freedom.
But I told him that would be a bad strategy. If I wanted to keep him close, I'd pamper him and pander to his every whim, buy his love with money and presents, and cultivate in him a dependency on me so he can never leave home. He doesn't like my logic.
It's true that he's still young. I don't demand that he knows now what to do with the rest of his life. But on the verge of adulthood, he needs to be more responsible and be capable of taking care of himself. I insist that he contributes to the house by doing his chores.
He says he's still a teenager and it's scary growing up. That's true, but he doesn't have to be obnoxious to me. I refuse to take belligerence and abuse from him.
So here we are, on The Boy's 18th birthday. From Alice Cooper and me, here's to The Boy:
I'm Eighteen
Lines form on my face and hands
Lines form from the ups and downs
I'm in the middle without any plans
I'm a boy and I'm a man
I'm eighteen
and I don't know what I want
Eighteen
I just don't know what I want
Eighteen
I gotta get away
I gotta get out of this place
I'll go runnin' in outer space
Oh yeah
I got a
baby's brain and an old man's heart
Took eighteen years to get this far
Don't always know what I'm talkin' about
Feels like I'm livin' in the middle of doubt
Cause I'm
Eighteen
I get confused every day
Eighteen
I just don't know what to say
Eighteen
I gotta get away
Lines form on my face and my hands
Lines form on the left and right
I'm in the middle
the middle of life
I'm a boy and I'm a man
I'm eighteen and I LIKE IT
Yes I like it
Oh I like it
Love it
Like it
Love it
Eighteen!
Eighteen!
Eighteen!
Eighteen and I LIKE IT
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`Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'
`That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.
`I don't much care where--' said Alice.`Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.
`--so long as I get somewhere,' Alice added as an explanation.
`Oh, you're sure to do that,' said the Cat, `if you only walk long enough.'
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`In that direction,' the Cat said, waving its right paw round, `lives a Hatter: and in that direction,' waving the other paw, `lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: they're both mad.'
`But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
`Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: `we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.'
`How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice.
`You must be,' said the Cat, `or you wouldn't have come here.'
Alice didn't think that proved it at all; however, she went on `And how do you know that you're mad?'
2 comments:
You made your point, stick to it.
For both of you the best, only he will realize it only after a decate, but so did we , don't we.
Fryslân.
PS. congratulation with the boy's
birthday.
The Boy has to understand that it's a big bad world out there and he has to grow up and accept that in order to survive. In this world one has to accept responsibilities for ones self and to respect those around him. Don't give in Sylph. If he wants the extra perks he should get a JOB like the majority of people his age. He isn't a child and should stop acting like one.
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