Reading Between the Lines

It's happened. I figured he would probably be a teenager before we would have to deal with this, but what can I say... our son is advanced for his age. He gave me the finger at dinner the other night! Yes, yes, he has used his first obscene gesture.

I burst out laughing of course. My laughter startled him since, being only 3, he did not realize the significance of extending one's middle finger. He just wanted to show me that he had spaghetti sauce on his finger tip.

Ahh, the innocence of youth!

The incident reminded me of the first, and only, time I flipped off one of my parents. I was probably about 6 or so. A friend, Steve, and I were climbing a tree in my front yard. My mom was busy inside the house, but would glance out the window occasionally to check on us. So, Steve and I had climbed about as far as we could and had perched ourselves out on a large branch just about eye level with the kitchen window. My mom glanced out and waved to us. I waved back. Then Steve, who was a bit more worldly, told me I should stick up my middle finger and show it to my mom. I asked him why and he gave me an answer about it being a cool thing older kids did or something like that. So, not wanting to be uncool, I flipped off my mom.

She looked a bit shocked standing there in the window, but in a flash she was gone. A few seconds later she burst out the front door and stormed over to our tree. She demanded that we climb down at once. Steve was sent home and I was exiled to my room for some time thereafter. I determined that giving your mom the finger was not a good thing to do, though I really did not understand why.

Ahh, the memories of my own youthful innocence!