"In this world of human affairs there is no worse nuisance than a boy at the age of fourteen. He is neither ornamental, nor useful. It is impossible to shower affection on him as on a little boy; and he is always getting in the way. If he talks with a childish lisp he is called a baby, and if he answers in a grown-up way he is called impertinent. In fact any talk at all from him is resented. Then he is at the unattractive, growing age. He grows out of his clothes with indecent haste; his voice grows hoarse and breaks and quavers; his face grows suddenly angular and unsightly. It is easy to excuse the shortcomings of early childhood, but it is hard to tolerate even unavoidable lapses in a boy of fourteen. The lad himself becomes painfully self-conscious. When he talks with elderly people he is either unduly forward, or else so unduly shy that he appears ashamed of his very existence."
When I first read this story, I probably must have skimmed through this paragraph. Because the second time I read it, it made me realise so many things. Writers should either be very wise and knowledgeable, have enormous experience with life or at least should have done abundant research before they hold a pen and start writing. This piece of writing could easily be from a medical or a psychology book if you ignore the fact that it is so tastefully written!
And it made me realise, yet again, that boys of fourteen are really unbearable. When you come across some magazine article or news story about boys (even girls) of this age, you'll feel sorry that you haven't been patient enough or you should have been more understanding, etc. But try however hard, these kids are real pain. Then again, these are kids. They will be like that for umpteen reasons. Hormones kicking in for starters!
But there are grown-ups who behave like them.! No, not the "childish" ones, the ones whose growth stuck at fourteen. Mean, selfish, being too self-conscious (not in a good way), craving for attention, berating the little attention they get, would be a few of the salient features. Everyone has a slight streak of this kind hidden somewhere, but in some it isn't too subtle.
Needless to say, I have come across one too many of this type. Really cranky idiots. They make me cranky and I always feel like leaving the moment they start talking. There is also an absurd thing about them. They are ferocious attention-seekers and you can't really get them off your back. Slowly they start growing on you and at some point you'll feel like their parent! Parent as in putting up with all the crap they do, telling excuses to others when they are impertinent, all the time pointlessly reassuring them over absolutely pointless issues while cursing yourself for continuing a conversation that is even more pointless, checking on them if they did okay at some important social gathering (previously you would have lectured on how not to behave at such occasions), and regretting later when you snap back at them.
You meet all kinds of people in life. You stick with some. They start getting dear to you over time. As they grow closer, you will have to get used to so many pleasant and most of the time unpleasant surprises. That is how you grow, learning to deal with every silly aspect.
And you'll love them no matter what! :-)
P.S: Started somewhere, ended somewhere else! I hate it when I say cheesy lines, but I AM feeling like...... little too cheesy :-D
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