Cerebral Soup - The Archives
The Boy turns 26
And we had a good day.
It's not really in the Boy's nature to be spontaneous. But he tried it yesterday. It was very warm but good weather. First we slathered ourselves in sunscreen, and then walked to Oiso. During the summer season Oiso transforms from a quiet surf beach to a kind of mini pseudo-Hawaiian resort. We were lured into a beach bar by some very genki employees (not too hard after a long walk in 35 degree humid heat). We spent the next hour sipping cold beers, and watching kids running around like maniacs, and lifesavers stopping people from going into the water because the waves were "too big".
Then a stroll back home, the Boy had a nap because he was tuckered out, the off to Atsugi for a bit of a kick around the shops and some dinner. Possibly it doesn't sound so thrilling but everything we chose to just seemed to be the right thing. Everything we ate hit the spot, everywhere we went seemed to work out perfectly. Just strolling down to dinner I found not only the perfect pair of new running shoes (yes yes they'll be "hobbling" ones for a bit longer though), and they were on sale, and also a fab pair of sandals - also on sale! I found a novel for the Boy, which I finally think he'll get into story wise and hopefully read.
I did feel a bit silly buying some English study software for the Nintendo DS. The sales assistant was giving me some really strange looks.
Sometimes I do think about the age difference between us. He doesn't understand my thing for 80's music or movies. He can't laugh about 80's fashion - when I show him old pictures he just looks in horror. I guess you really had to be there to appreciate it.
The hardest thing about being a few years older than your partner is having been there, done it before. I have to stand by and watch him make mistakes sometimes because that's the way he'll learn. Sometimes this frustrates him "if you knew, why did you let it happen" - but I think it's important to do that. That's how I was brought up. I'm sure some of the stuff my brother and I did would make Mum smack her head in disbelief (I know for sure that my brother's fashion sense during his punk phase sure did) - but she always let us do it, and only when we asked for advice would she then intervene. This is very different from JMum - who even now feels she has to step in and sort things out. She can't seem to let go of taking care of them - even though she and I have talked about it.
You have to let people sink a little so that they learn to swim.
Posted by mjd-s on August 7, 2006 8:27 PM