The Seattle Children's Theater has this play on stage right now; it is "about" the Civil War, but it is more "about" a young man coming of age in the heat of battle. It is recommended for kids 11 and up.
A friend of my son's (age 13) invited my son (age 9). I wrangled with this a bit--I wasn't so worried about the violence--for heaven's sake, this child has *memorized* Star Wars. And yes, my kid is "advanced" academically. But I had a sense this was not about academics...this is about the soul, in some way. I know that if it got too intense, the Mom would stay out with my kid until I could pick him up...but still...
So I asked BoyBob. He asked what it was about, and I described it as above. He asked what "coming of age" was about, and I told him it was about deciding whether one was ready to grow up, and if so, what it took to *be* grown up. He almost immediately said, "No, I don't want to go. I don't like those "battles within the mind" kinds of things." And it's true. There are two scenes he despises in Star Wars; one, when Luke faces Darth in the cave, only to find he is facing himself; and the other when the Emperor is electrocuting Luke. BoyBob *always* fast-forwards through these scenes.
I found his response pretty self aware.
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2 comments:
Oh, Patty, this is a keeper! One of those moments you want to tuck in your heart forever. BoyBob has a very good foundation and isn't afraid to say no when he isn't comfortable with something. What a wonderful gift in a young man! That will serve him well, believe me.
Dy
You have a really sharp one on your hands, Patty. There are grown ups who don't know their limits as well as BabyBob.
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