Thirteen is an awkward age for a young man, and fourteen gets even more awkward. Elaboration on this subject is impossible since I'm a woman. I have been thirteen, but I am convinced that no one, not even an older man, can explain the confusion in the mind of a boy at that age. Just in observation it seems that they are not in their right mind. I just spent four days in the presence of a thirteen, going on fourteen, year old Wesley, my oldest grandson, and I have a few points of interest I'd like to discuss.
I'm guessing that Wesley is approximately 5 feet and 10 inches tall. His weight is somewhere around 110 pounds. His arms and legs are bones with skin attached, and they are in perpetual motion, I suspect the reason is because they have no idea what to do with themselves. His arms and hands land in the most amazing places, and when he walks it's as if there are multiple joints up and down his legs.
When Wesley sits where does he store all those legs? When Wesley stands what does he do with all those arms? Numerous times I saw him stand with his arms in front of him, hand over hand, palm over the back of the other hand. His arms are too long to dangle, so this gives them a place to park. He sometimes wraps one arm behind his back and grasps the elbow of his other arm. Wesley's Uncle John has always used these two postitions for his arms when standing. When Wesley sits for any length of time his arms and hands travel almost mysteriously around the back of his head, sometimes both arms at the same time, to rest his hands on either side of his head or face.
One evening we all sat in their living room talking, and I watched as, without knowing that he was doing it, his arms searched the back of his head. His long fingers began to caress each ear on opposite sides, and I waited for quite a few moments comtemplating this behavior. I could contain myself no longer when I quipped, "So, you could probably just clean out your ears like this, couldn't you?" His mother exploded with laughter since she had been watching the same activity, and wondering at Wesley's dexterity.
Tomorrow I shall strive to decipher the changing moods of this marvelous young man. He is a delight, a lovely young man, and I began to ask myself just after a day or two if I were going to allow him to live throughout my stay. Conflictions of our love/hate relationship could mean his doom if I didn't stay patient and remember how much I love him. Then he wrapped his long, skinny limbs around my shoulders and I melted with adoration and appreciation for his loving heart. He's gonna be quite a man someday.
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