My Seven Year Old
Yuri at seven is following my footsteps and frustrating everyone, including a much better version of the bullish vice principle that I faced at eight.
Y- “What?”
J- “It’s true; now go back to ignoring me.”
My son’s version is a pragmatic woman that is taking puzzling him out as a challenge with his success her goal.
As wonderful and patient as she and his school is, they need help.
When I was his age…
I doubted the authority of the adult world.
I’d recently moved from Hawaii to Pennsylvania and was facing down a huge vice principle with a stubbornness that he couldn’t process except as a power struggle.
As an only child, I’d developed a fundamental belief in equality and fairness that did not blur with age or system appointed power.
The big man didn’t try to reason with me. He started with a false accusation, because I had to be guilty of something. He was right, but he didn’t know details. So he guessed, but I wouldn’t budge. So he stated a punishment, but I wouldn’t accept it. So he upped the ante and doomed his approach by calling in my mother.
She possessed a bear of a personality he couldn’t match with size or wit, and she made him apologize to me.
Sor-grrr-ry…