Seventh Grade Boys: A Study in Sensitivity

January 27, 2002

What is it like to live with 16 seventh grade boys? Last week, about 14 guys were all huddled in one room laughing a laugh that made me nervous. As a general rule, all laughter from seventh grade boys is suspect; this was particularly nefarious.

Me: What's so funny?

Them: We all swallowed a bunch of Tic Tacs and now we're all tooting on Joey's pillow!!

Me: Why are you doing it to Joey?

Them: Because he's not here!!!

Since we've had the twins, about six of the guys go out of their way to play with them. About ten are indifferent. And there are several who I'm not sure have realized we HAVE twins.

One of the staff members had to leave because of an illness in his family. I asked my dorm guys to make a card for him. One of them wrote: `I hope your brother gets better but if he doesn't I hope you have lots of fun in the states.' And he was SINCERE.

But the other day, my oldest son was walking arm in arm with a Kenyan and a Korean seventh grader, and they were talking rather animatedly. I had a fleeting thought that they were enjoying the interchange of different culture, and in their own small ways, building a bridge that would enable all cultures to co-exist in joy and peace.

And then I heard them. They were trying to figure out how to build a whoopee cushion.

Seventh grade is its own culture.

Matthew had pioneer days at school. You really haven't experienced US pioneer days until you've heard Brits, Kenyans and Koreans trying to approximate what they think a rural American accent sounds like.

A church back home gave us shoes to give away to Kenyans. We had originally planned to give them to an orphanage, but there were so many adult sizes that we have been looking for people in this area to give them to.

We offered some to Grace, who works for us. Her husband is not working, and he has issues, so she is the sole provider of the house. There were about three dozen pair, and after she looked for a while, she excused herself.

The reason that she did is that she was overwhelmed with the choices and the opportunity. She simply couldn't believe that each of her children would be able to have a new pair of shoes, and that she would be able to choose from so many. Almost every Kenyan I know buys used shoes from the side to the road, and the choices are pretty slim. She told us later that her boys were so excited that they couldn't sleep that night.

I still take so much for granted.

Your pal,

Steve

PS. Ben, Matthew and Katie!