Tabatha Deans

Battle of the Boys

Well, it turns out that trying to change the thinking of two young boys is much harder than I thought. Trying to get them to listen to not only me, but each other, and what they can teach each other, is next to impossible. We spent the day hiking the petroglyphs, before going to the local recreation center to swim and enjoy atomic wedgies from the water slide. Although we were having fun, Alex and MItchell clashed several times. At first I thought they were just being ill-mannered, then it became obvious that it was much more about their own stubborness and testosterone than manners. I talked myself blue trying to get them to understand that they should be embracing their differences, and am officially tired of talking.

Their attitudes and beliefs mimic those of society quite a bit. They’re both a little insecure about certain things, but too stubborn to admit it. So they act out in different, annoying ways, to compensate for their insecurities. Much like adults, it’s impossible to change their minds, or even get them to be receptive to what the other has to offer. It’s foreign to them to think that the other mights actually know something that they don’t, and they’re not about to admit that they don’t know it all. They would rather spend a long,  miserable day being mad at each other than try to work together.

I’ve always thought that with enough exposure to diversity and a little education, people’s beliefs and thoughts could be changed. LIke so many violent conflicts that are going on in the world about religion, politics, power and entitlement. But after a long, brutal day of mediating between the young boys, with absolutely no results, I’ve realized that my thoughts on changing the world are perhaps a little too simplistic. I still believe that I can help bridge the gap between the classes and have an impact on the world, I just realized that it’s going to be a lot harder, and require a lot more stamina than I thought.

July 31, 2008 - Posted by Tabatha Stewart | Uncategorized