From Boy to Man
Submitted by My Garden Spot Blog
I was outside re potting some plants, and plotting where to put them, when I heard a familiar voice say: “Hey, Miss Nancy!”
I was confused for a moment because 1) the voice had bounced around some walls and had been hard to locate from direction and 2) the voice belonged to a young man I thought would have been in school at this time of the day (about noon).
Turns out, the voice was from behind me, and it was the young man…West Neighbor Jr, hereafter to be known as Future Marine.
He came up and greeted me with a smile and a handshake and said he was about to run some errands but he’d be back soon, could I use any help.
“Well, yes, I can and could and do. Uhmmm don’t you have to stop by school?”
“No ma’am, I graduated early so I could work full time, but I don’t have a full time job yet.”
“Did you graduate in December? I wish we’d known!”
“No, ma’am, it was just a few days ago, I worked it out with the school and finished.”
Fair enough, thinks I.
“Anyway, I woke up this morning and felt like it was a day to get something DONE and I looked around and thought, Miss Nancy could find me something to do.”
God Bless’m…I sure could.
We talked a little more about what I could use help with, mostly moving stuff and stacking stuff and raking stuff… all nice muscle using stuff.
He goes into basic in July. He’s already working out, running and walking, with about 30 lbs in a backpack, going to the gym, and I can see the beginnings of a strong man’s form emerging from the young teen guy body. His face is changing too. He’s becoming more…thoughtful. He’s going to be a good man, a good Marine.
He is a remarkable person, already.
