Welcome back to Member Monday. Today we conclude our theme “A Lesson Learned” with a compelling piece from Writers Forum member and first time contributor, Terry O’Connell. Welcome, Terry!
Becoming A “Real” Boy
by Terry O’ Connell
I grew up an only child, raised mostly by a single, working mom. I was a quiet, gentle boy who preferred to read and stay home rather than go out and play with other kids on the streets and in the playgrounds. I didn’t like sports, wasn’t very coordinated, and I’d much rather avoid a flying ball than try to catch one. I have horrible memories of musical chairs – the pushing, the aggression, chairs toppling, people falling down. I would usually just remain standing and be eliminated. I was not a “typical” boy, and I fell far short of the playground standards of my working-class neighborhood.
In my fourth grade year, there was a big contest at my school – with prizes! I don’t remember the details, but somehow I managed to win first place. As the grand winner, I could choose one of two prizes. One was a bright red Radio Flyer wagon, and the other was a well-made Raggedy Andy rag doll. The wagon was the clear choice, and I started to imagine having it at home to play with and haul my toys around. Then I looked at the doll and thought to myself, “Everyone wants the wagon. Nobody is going to choose the doll.” And I started to picture the doll being ignored and left behind, and something in me shifted.
When the time came for me to make my selection, I chose the doll.
For the rest of the day, the kids chided me mercilessly. They called me names. They made up little rhymes about me and my doll. Boys and girls, friends and strangers, it made no difference. I had crossed a line and they weren’t going to let it go.
Finally, school let out and I was able to go home and get away from the taunting and disapproval. On the walk home, I kept replaying the day’s events over and over again, trying to bring the whole thing into focus and make sense of how I felt and what had happened.
A block before I reached home, I threw the doll away.
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“I am currently taking chemistry, calculus, philosophy, roots of contemporary issues, and a physics seminar. My favorite by far is philosophy; I love thinking and questioning, and that is exactly what that class is for. I am also excited for my physics seminar. Even though it is only once a week, we get to hear from many of the professors about their research. Every week it reminds me why I am so excited to go into astrophysics. There are actually a surprising number of astrophysics students at this school, so for once I am not the only one. The campus is beautiful, and while it may be one big hill, it sure has a great view from the top. The people here are very kind and open, as it is a fairly small town. All in all, I am glad I chose to come to Washington State University.
One Sunday evening, me and my brother Nick, were playing outside in our backyard. My mom and dad were inside cooking dinner and playing with my other brother Noah. I don’t know what we were thinking, but we decided to see how high we could throw rocks. It was fun until a rock, the size of an orange, came down and hit my brother in the head. Nick was a mess and crying loudly. I was freaking out because blood was gushing down his face. My dad came out to help. We took Nick inside to clean off the blood. We drove to the emergency room as fast as we could. When we got to the hospital, we carried Nick inside. It was busy and we had to wait for hours! When it was Nick’s turn, my mom took Noah and I to the car so we could hang out. It took about 20 minutes for Nick to get his head super-glued back together. My dad and Nick met us at the car. We went to get burgers and fries from In-N-Out Burger. We went home to eat dinner, take showers, and go to bed. The lesson I learned was not to throw rocks because what goes up must come down.
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