A Road Less Travelled

I think the last thing I want to say about growing up is actually the most helpful to me in terms of how to help others grow up without having to leave home.

I grew up in little leaps and bounds, but the time of my life that I remember as my first aware step into adulthood was when I came here with Seth and Crystal to help them settle in. I was sixteen, but looked older. Other than James, Theresa, Seth and Crystal no one here had known me as anything other than a sixteen-year-old that looked older. So people treated me differently. They treated me like an adult because they assumed I was. And since they expected adult-like behavior from me I grew up a bit to reach their expectations.

I think that’s the first time I felt treated like an grown up. Looking back I can tell you they really shouldn’t have; I was just some kid. But because of their expectations I wanted to act more like a grown up. I’ve only lived in one place other than here and there are people in Erie who still remember when I was two and ran naked into the middle of a Bible study. Thankfully, I don’t remember that particular occasion and I don’t know that they think of it very much when we’re chatting after church. But until I moved away in their eyes I was still a child so there wasn’t any challenge to be more than that.

So I look at the children around me and I remember when they were younger and did silly things. Actually, some of them still are younger and are still doing silly things. It’s hard to expect much from them when they’re still picking their noses and arguing over Legos. But if no one expects much from them they will never grow. They will never grow up which is a very sad thought. I think their parents are doing a fine job at pushing them and teaching them, but parents are just two people. Their expectations need to be supported by the larger community.

No, I’m still not entirely sure what this looks like, but I understand bits of it and try to implement those bits. Because I love these kids and I like them and I want to still be close to them when they’re all grown up. It will make all the loud, crazy dinners and fart jokes worth it.