Thursday, April 23, 2009

Young males


Ok, I'm going to be stereotyping. What is it with young males? What on earth do they think?

Two of Andrea's boyfriend's friends just nearly killed themselves racing a Mustang. One broke his back. The other was unconscious. And the vehicle burst into flames. The one with the broken back pulled out the unconscious one. The one with the broken back will be immobile for 8 months.

On a somewhat lighter note, I disclosed the teeth of two young men (boys, 12 and 14)) for plaque today. It was much, much worse than the picture above. 1/2 mm of plaque on most parts of the teeth on all teeth. How can you possibly have teeth this dirty? I sent them to brush and floss it all off before I'd touch them. (They take forever when I do this and they come back very clean). One said he just can't get into the habit of brushing his teeth. Oh, ya. When was the last time he brushed his teeth? Oh, a week or two ago. What! The mother is sitting right there. They are old enough to worry about it themselves, says she. Yes, indeed. One just finished getting a whole mouth worth of cavities filled.

There are so many reasons for mothers to nag, to guilt, to be hysterical; it is no joke.

8 comments:

Steve Martin said...

When I look back at my life, I do not know why the Lord spared me so many times from the stupid things that I did.

Brigitte said...

The question kind of is: how is a mother supposed to be, from the male perspective. I know there is no recipe.

Bror Erickson said...

Young boys think?
Brigitte the fact of the matter is most boys thirst for adventure, and danger the adrenaline rush they get from that is a drive second to only one.And the two often work in tandem when they are a little older.
I tend to look back on the stupid things I have done as good inspirational stories for John. Like getting stuck in the middle of the Mojave and having to walk 10 miles to call a friend who found some biker friends with a tow truck that could pull me out. I got home at two, and tried to paint the bumper when I woke up so my parents wouldn't see.
Really some of us are doomed never to grow up. And it is only stupid when it turns our badly. Doing donuts in the new church parking lot this last winter was fun until I hit a curb.
I took my son out rock hounding a couple weeks ago. We were in these mountains and there were nice rock faces everywhere. John looked at them and said "Awesome! I'm going to climb them all!" And climb them he did. His mother would have freaked, which is why boys have dads.
My experience says Moms are supposed to be at wits end, and dad's are there to teach there sons from their own adventure mishaps. But when I look back there were plenty of times I was lucky to make it out alive. Luck, or providence. Maybe a little of both, if I was God I would have given up by now on me:)
The only thing going through a young boys head before these things happen is "this is fun." Sad, to say but that is the thought. Dangerous often = fun in a boys life. Just watch a movie made for men. Why do men watch them? Because they think it would be fun to try do half the stunts.
As for not brushing your teeth, I don't understand that one. That other drive is supposed to insure that boys brush there teeth, and take a shower. Can't tell the girl all the great adventure stories if your breath stinks. She won't listen if your breath stinks. But then I knew one teenager that would shower once or twice a month, and girls were always hanging around him. So maybe I am wrong.

Brigitte said...

Thank you Bror. That's cute. Made me laugh.

Being at wit's end is not a nice state. And nobody loves you for it.

This post and my own comments have been altered as to request by my daughter.

Brigitte said...

I do tell those boys about girls and how girls would not like this. Maybe it helps.

Mary said...

I am trying to think of some stupid, dangerous, adventerous thing I did as an adolescent. I am quite certain I did just can't remember. Driving at high speeds is certainly not one of them. Bror explained the typical male quite well. My 26 year old has dived off a cliff in Italy when he was in grade 10. He just told me about it last year. Why just last year? Because he knew I would've blasted the teachers way back when. He still thirsts for adventure: drifting, doing donuts in a parking lot with his 12 yr old sister in the passenger seat (just 2 weeks ago. My daughter cannot keep a secret), heli-snowboarding, skydiving, and the list goes on.
As for the plaque, at age 12 I still brush my daughter's teeth once per day and floss them daily when she is home with me.
I did the same with my son until he could prove manual dexterity (about age 11). In my dental experience I have seen it with girls;makeup, and hair all done up but when the mouth is open blistering red looking gums......due to lack of oral health care.
Hope the two young men will recover fully from their injuries.

Brigitte said...

"He just told me about it last year. Why just last year? Because he knew I would've blasted the teachers way back when."

This is part of why I find teaching so stressful. You are responsible for so many. And they can get into danger anywhere. Blowing up marker pens in microwave ovens, it just goes on and on. Where there is an adolescent there is a way to do something dumb.

And if you freak out, they like it even better. They'll do it again.

One thing I liked about Germany was that once a young person hits the "looks more or less like an adult" stage (13, 14, 15), you get suddenly addressed as an adult (or used to). In German you are all the sudden "Sie" instead of "du". The first time it happens you look around and you wonder if they are talking to someone else. All the sudden you are "Fraeulein Reichelt", not "Brigitte". Also many young people start apprenticeships after grade 9 and enter adult work life.

A young person gets the sense of being and being treated as an adult. I think it makes a big difference.

I think the only dangerous, adventurous thing I did as an adolescent was to get married. Ha, ha. No, I wasn't an adolescent.

Bror Erickson said...

"Where there is an adolescent there is a way to do something dumb."
Now there is a bumper sticker! I'm going to remember that line.