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#Post#: 12589--------------------------------------------------
25 April 2019 - Good Day
By: Jack Date: April 26, 2019, 6:00 am
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I don't have a lot of time or energy to blog these days, but I
did want to share this.
Yesterday was a beautiful day - our high reached about 80F
(27C), it was mostly clear and not too windy.
As I was leaving the school, I came across a boy who was
technically out of bounds. Like many rules, there's 'out of
bounds' and then there's 'out of bounds'. I remember some of
the Tidwell boys once getting a pretty serious paddling because
they were playing chase in the teacher's parking lot - strictly
out of bounds for students. At lunch time, being in an area
where it looks like you could be trying to sneak off campus can
be a source of trouble. This boy wasn't in that situation.
His name is Drew Thompson. He's about 5'5" or 5'6" - he has
dark blond or very light brown hair, but he's already showing a
decent tan, and he has very dark eyes. He's at that stage where
he's pretty skinny, but I kind of felt like he'd just finished
filling out from one of those 'knees and elbows' stages - he
was lean, but now awkward or gawky. He's in 7th grade and
recently turned 13.
Drew was very nervous about being taken to the office, but he
was very willing to talk. He was in a bad mood, because his mom
had yelled at him before school this morning (for something that
wasn't even his fault), and then he'd had a fight with his best
friend after arriving at school. He didn't mean to be out of
bounds, but he just wanted to be alone and quiet.
Drew was nervous about being taken to the office, because he's
already been paddled twice this semester, and his dad has
threatened to take his phone away if he gets in any further
trouble.
Drew knows me, because I've supervised his gym class a couple of
times, and because he played baseball with Kenny a few years
ago. He is also friends with a number of kids I know (like
Billy Worley and John Ewing).
I suggested a couple of places he could go that would give him
privacy and quiet without being out of bounds, but we ended up
talking a bit. The only pertinent thing he said to me is that
he's unhappy about Dad threatening to take his phone. He didn't
think it fair that his big sister only gets restrictions, and
his little brother only gets whuppings, but that he's threatened
with both. No, I wasn't able to steer the conversation to more
details.
What I did do was offer him a ticket to see Avengers: Endgame
with us tonight. I always leave a few empty seats for
'emergencies' (unexpected guests). Drew is a year ahead of
Kline, and a year behind Kenny (who attends a different school),
but he is the same age as Jake. They don't know each other, but
I'm sure he'll know some of the other people going. I gave him
a card with my cell number on it. His Mom called last night to
check on a few details, and she accepted, though he won't be
spending the night afterwards. I'm sure he'll have a good time,
and it'll be fun seeing him again.
[hr]
That would have been a nice by itself, but not really reason to
call the entire day good.
No, I had an appointment after school. As I said, it was a
really nice day, so I was able to have the top down and the
radio up. I was driving some of the state and county roads
southeast of Dallas, and it was just beautiful.
I was a bit disappointed when I arrived at my destination. The
guy had said he had some early silver age comics (he'd told me
that by date). It turned out to be pretty disappointing - it
was some in pretty decent condition, but most of it isn't in
high demand. I could probably sell it, but it would take a
while (though there were a couple of pieces I wanted for
myself). The guy explained to me that his uncle had passed
away, he was the only heir, and he had no interest in the stuff
and no place to store it. He also mentioned some other things.
Well, it turns out that Uncle wasn't a comics collector, but a
pop culture collector - especially TV and movie related stuff.
The comics he had were mostly tie-ins to those, but he also had
Big Little Books, lunch boxes, some models and action figures
and other toys, and even some movie paper and magazines. The
guy and I were able to come to a deal, and Daniel's taking the
cargo van and a couple of employees out there today to pack
everything up and drop off the check. And this afternoon, I get
to go through and figure out how much of it the store's keeping
and how much is going into my personal collection.
#Post#: 12591--------------------------------------------------
Re: 25 April 2019 - Good Day
By: Zyngaru Date: April 26, 2019, 8:31 am
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I can understand Drew a little. I always walked off to be by
myself when I had to think things out or was in a bad mood.
Happy that you pointed out some quiet spaces at school he could
use in the future. I am assuming you didn't take him to the
office for a paddling, but let him go this time with just the
advice. Good for you. It would have been really bad to get
paddled on top of the rest of his day. The fight with his best
friend probably only happened because of the morning fight with
mom. But that is how things pile up on a guy. One bad event
leads to the next.
#Post#: 12593--------------------------------------------------
Re: 25 April 2019 - Good Day
By: Surfer Date: April 26, 2019, 10:13 am
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I remember having a terrible time in 7th grade. Not fitting in
with peers, and also having some problems at home. So I can
totally relate to this boy. What was Drew wearing? Any clues on
underwear type? What were the details his mom asked about on the
phone?
It's getting warmer here in SoCal. Now in the 70s by noon. I saw
some boys skateboarding with shirts off. It seems like boxer
briefs are winning out over regular boxers that were more common
during my teenage years. The sagging continues in the skate
culture with pants riding low and undie waistbands well exposed.
I got my car washed yesterday and there was a family waiting
next to me with two young kids. The dad raised his voice at one
of them and I could tell by the look on the kids face that dad
meant business in that family. One looked to be pre-school aged
and the other might have been a first grader. The older one was
wearing a Volcom tank top and baby blue shorts, and the younger
one had overalls with no shirt. They were play fighting each
other, and seemed very immune to being watched by all the adults
waiting for their cars to be ready.
#Post#: 12597--------------------------------------------------
Re: 25 April 2019 - Good Day
By: Jack Date: April 26, 2019, 4:26 pm
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[quote author=Surfer link=topic=1244.msg12593#msg12593
date=1556291615]
What was Drew wearing? Any clues on underwear type? What were
the details his mom asked about on the phone?
[/quote]
He was wearing navy dress shorts that were an inch or so above
his knee, with a white polo. I've supervised his gym class, so
I've probably seen him in his underwear and naked, but i just
don't remember seeing him.
I will say that most boys seem to wear boxer briefs these days.
In the 90s.... from maybe 92 or 93 on... boxers were most
popular. At BCA (the school where I teach) a slightly higher
percentage of boys seem to wear plain, white briefs, but it's
still not a lot of them.
#Post#: 12615--------------------------------------------------
Re: 25 April 2019 - Good Day
By: Zyngaru Date: April 27, 2019, 9:30 am
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Boxer briefs seem to be the normal for school aged boys around
here. Superhero briefs for the younger boys.
In talking with moms I find that here, one of the reasons for
boys switching to boxerbriefs as they get older is their moms.
Moms here seem to think regular white briefs and even colored
ones to be to risqué for their boys to walk around the house in
so they switch them to boxerbriefs for school.
Fewer and fewer boys are wearing boxers.
#Post#: 12617--------------------------------------------------
Re: 25 April 2019 - Good Day
By: kalico Date: April 27, 2019, 11:31 am
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That does sound like a good day and I’m happy you got to do
something you really enjoy....
He sounds like a cute kid.....
Hugs kal
#Post#: 12618--------------------------------------------------
Re: 25 April 2019 - Good Day
By: Jack Date: April 27, 2019, 2:26 pm
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[quote author=Zyngaru link=topic=1244.msg12615#msg12615
date=1556375423]
Boxer briefs seem to be the normal for school aged boys around
here. Superhero briefs for the younger boys.
Fewer and fewer boys are wearing boxers.
[/quote]
I find boxer briefs very comfortable myself. With the loose
crotches in pants today, having something between your thighs is
nice, but they also give the support that boxers don't. They
also look pretty good. I still prefer white briefs, but I think
that's because they were a more private garment (at least that's
how it seemed to me, since most guys I knew didn't run around
the house in their briefs), so I it wasn't common for me to see
them, which is what really drew my love, more than the item
itself.
#Post#: 12631--------------------------------------------------
Re: 25 April 2019 - Good Day
By: Surfer Date: April 28, 2019, 3:31 am
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I could go on and on about this...but I'll try my best to be
brief ;)
Briefs are a very affordable/practical undergarment, but
socially they seen as little boys (or old mens) underwear. Once
a boy becomes independent, and faces situations where he has to
change his clothes/pants in front of peers, he will want to
switch to underwear with legs (boxers/boxer briefs/compression
shorts).
I live in the city. If I had boys in public schools I wouldn't
deny this reality. I'd would move them into boxer briefs around
middle school. My best friend, however, lives in a rural area
and they homeschool. At 10 and 12, both boys still (proudly)
wear briefs. Last time I visited the 12 year old came out in a
t-shirt and briefs after brushing his teeth. It was a long
t-shirt, but I could still see what he had under. This made me
realize that social norms are the real driver.
In a few of Jack's anecdotes, he relates that (some) mothers
prefer to keep their boys in briefs. Be it affordability or to
encourage modesty (and discourage sagging) they hold on to this
principle as long as reasonably possible. Every time I visit
Walmart or Target there is a whole shelf devoted to boys' tighty
whites of all sizes, suggesting somebody must buy them. I
believe it's the mothers who either know no different, or want
this additional layer of control over their boy.
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