BOY or MAN?

The transition from boy to man often comes down to how you act. Some boys, as teenagers, mature faster and act responsible in their decisions and ideas, much as you would expect with a man. Other, so called young adults, or actual biological adults in years never seem to grow up, take responsibility in and with their actions and act still like a boy.

As an only child, I think I grew up sooner than some of my peers. Had great parents who taught by words and example what an adult should be. There were still moments in my teenage years, as with my peers, that I acted out and made foolish boyhood choices. Twice as a teenager, the vice principal at school had me in his office and he tanned my butt with the paddle for poor behavior choices. At 16 I made a big mistake in anger/frustration & dropped a "F" bomb that my dad heard. Made a bigger mistake when I told my dad I was too old/too big to be paddled at 16, so he took off his belt & put me bare a$$ on the bed. Wasn't such a big 'man' then with my hide getting a whipping. So my thinking and experience says, it is simply how you act.

Hi R.J.

I was whipped too - At 7 years old by Mom, because I killed some birds... but it's another story.

I noticed, that time has progressed much faster, than I can imagine. Y'know, one day, two days, ... 1000 days. But somehow I cannot feel, that days add up into years. As a 22 years old, I feel myself a young, 16-years old boy.

At 22, you still are young and that is the way you should feel. Not a big span of time between 16 and 22. Was being 16 then a special time for you that you want to revert your thinking to that age?

At 7, did mom actually whip you or just your terminology for a boyhood spanking mom laid across your bottom? At 22, you are enough into that young generation when the concept of kids being spanked was losing social acceptance. Your generation likely got more detentions and maybe ISS when you misbehaved at school. My school dealt the punishment more quickly with a few paddle swats to the seat of our jeans. That ended the matter if parents never found out. If they did, most of us had dads who might warn a first time to behave, but later would spank our butt when we got home with a discipline note and with dads, it wasn't to seat of jeans but straight to a bare butt.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

I've read your reply, and I can imagine, you are at least 30 or 40 years old; in our country, those, and older adults speak about that physical school punishments.

Well, my generation is completely different: teachers didn't punish us physically, instead we need to write eg. 50 lines of "punishment sentences", stand next to a wall or tree for the entire afternoon break, and similar. And if my parents knew about what happened, they asked the teacher, whether "Was this necessary?", they didn't punished me at home!

Today's situation are far more different: teachers must not even punish children, 'cause they may end up being judged or fired!!!

Anyway, there's nothing special about age 16, just my spirit does not age with my body, instead I age by the time I felt progressed. Somehow, somewhere, about 6 years of time lost - maybe sleeping at night?

Yes, I'm in that 40+ generation and we were physically punished at school and home sometimes when we misbehaved. We also had the alternative punishments you have described. Were there times you misbehaved at school that you would've been likely spanked had such punishment been allowed?

It's natural even at my age to feel still that youthful spirit. Carry that "age 16" spirit as long as you can & enjoy it.