Blog 706 – 07.29.2017

When You’re Older

Have you ever used the line with your children that Mrs. Potts uses with her son, Chip, in the musical Beauty And The Beast? ” I will tell you when you’re older.” That is such a tease and a cheat line. The person cheated most is the sayer, usually a parent, who is cheating themselves out of explaining something to their child probably better and with more caring and finesse than the half informed peer that will explain it to them sooner than later if they don’t. I am not saying that there are not some subjects that need to be covered with age appropriate explanations but I think it is a big cop-out not to make a stab at satisfying a curious young mind. They are going to find the answers and how garbled might be the information they get without your loving input.

If you have followed this blog awhile perhaps you are beginning to realize that I can find encouraging words in the oddest places. Among the most encouraging words ever spoken were those said by a good friend to his good friends, “I am with you always. I am going away. Don’t be sad. I am going to make a place for you so we can all be together forever.” Pretty cool words but often lost in all the church noise. News flash, the Head of the Church never went to church. He went to Temple and from one of the few and earliest times at twelve he butted heads with the “learned ones” a practice he perfected as an adult even over turning the money handlers tables and driving the live stock out that they had over priced and were ripping off the poor selling them inferior overpriced products – a practice that continues to this day but still pisses God off. That Jesus guy really knew how to party. And I bet you he never once said, “I’ll tell you when you are older.” Fact is I am pretty sure that he did not care much for secrets. Secrets always cause bigger problems than the ones they are meant to prevent. I sure hope Chip didn’t get some little tea girl pregnant and ruin hers, his, and the baby’s lives over a little lack of information that mama, daddy, or teachers could have easily provided and age-appropriately. Am I beating a dead horse? Maybe I should move on. I am older and I remember all those things that I was told would be explained to me when I was older. Most of those things never were. Some I figured out by trial and error – not the best way to learn, but even worse was having to unlearn a lot of mistaken and misinformed crap that my equally ill-informed peers told me.

Those little folks are counting on us to give it to them straight. Jesus also remarked once that it would be better to have a millstone tied around our neck and be cast into the sea that to hurt and disappoint one of his little ones. We think that is talking about child abuse but withholding your hard learned lessons is one of the worst forms of child neglect and abuse. “Children will listen. They may not always obey. But children will listen to every word you say.” Teenagers get pretty hard hearing so you had best not save the good stuff too long or you’ll lose your audience. Remember, Chip just turned around and said, “I’m older.” So will they, Speak now or forever hold your peace,

Your friend and fellow traveler,
David White