There’s something about a boy and a cowboy hat

I’m going to get all existential on you for a moment or two… probably because I heard a young mother at a diner this morning tell the waitress that her son is going to be a doctor when he grows up. I know I’ve addressed this topic before, but the young moms are not reading.

The little boy who will be a doctor some day (I overheard the mom say) is 5. As in 5 years old. And this brings me to a bit of Emerson. As in Ralph Waldo. Here goes: As long as any man exists, there is some need of him; let him fight for his own.

Mommy in the diner. Let your little boy justify his own existence. Let your little guy solve his own mystery and magic of his life. You gave him the molecules… now let him explain them. Let his hours pass, perhaps, with thoughts of adventure. Journey. Self-discovery.

Buy him a cowboy hat, for God’s sake… and let the boy BE.

(Benjamin, 18 months. Yes, I have already started decorating my home for Christmas… a story for another post!)

The end.

Oh, ps: Love your little boy…

There’s something about a boy and a cowboy hat was last modified: February 9th, 2010 by Sharon Couto
SHOWHIDE Comments (6)

  1. Yes, yes, and yes! Whenever someone asks my husband if Luke is going to be abaseball player (because Shane played varsity all four years of HS, plus coached a few years), he always shrugs and says, “If he wants. Or he could play the piano, soccer, or be in a band.” I love him so much for that.

  2. So adorable! And, obviously, an important message. Perhaps you need to hand out business cards to these women so they know to come read. They could use the excellent advice!

  3. Oh yes. So, so true. Let them be kids. I could care less what my kids become as far as profession and care tremendously that they are happy and look back at their childhood with fond memories of being a KID.

  4. This is oh so true! If kids are pushed into a career, they will either rebel or (worse in my opinion) not rebel and then become resentful later in life. Beautiful post! 🙂

  6. When our older son was in seventh grade—I can seem her clearly standing in the bathroom doorway as I was combing my hair as though it were yesterday—he told me that when he was a grownup he wanted to work with animals.

    “David,” I said, “you will never be rich, but you will be happy. Go for it.”

    Last October, at age 28, he left a good-paying job in a respected biotech company to start over again. He is a very happy veterinary technician.

There’s something about a boy and a cowboy hat was last modified: February 9th, 2010 by Sharon Couto