Monday, September 12, 2011

College Boys Will Be Boys

I don't know what it is about going to college, but it seems that college students like acting like kids. Maybe it's because there's less adult supervision. Maybe it's an attempt to slow down the growing-up process. Whatever the reason, I'm sure you could get a whole psych thesis from this topic. While looking through some of my old papers from college, I found a page with the two following stories that make this point.

One winter day as I walked to class I saw a guy walking across campus with a board on his back.

"Is that...is that a snowboard?" I wondered. "Yes, yes, it's definitely a snowboard. What is he doing with that?"

Fortunately, my own curiosity was satisfied as the guy I was following plopped the board down and strapped one foot on. Clearly the boy was desperate for snowboarding because the snow covered ground he'd chosen was flat. Perhaps it was an experiment.

"You're gonna fall," a friend shouted as the guy pushed off, sliding along like he was getting a skateboard up to speed. For a moment it seemed he would succeed, then to the hilarious amusement of all watching, he fulfilled the prediction.

"That boy's insane," one spectator commented.

I continued to class with a smile on my face.

Another day as I came to the stairway in Old Main--my dorm--I noticed a boy standing watch near the bottom. I figured he was waiting for a friend, then I realized he was a lookout for his friend's antics when I caught a second guy with his leg straddling the stair rail, preparing to slide down. As soon as my presence and smile were noticed he announced, "I miss being a kid," to no one in general, presumably for my benefit in an attempt to explain his unusual behavior.

"Do it!" I thought. "Let's see this." But I just passed on.

It's true--what Bob Smiley said--you've gotta be quiet or else they'll see you and stop, and I wanna see this.