The Cracked Acorn: Boys Into Men

Nearly thirteen, I contracted a viral flu-like disease that kept me bedridden for two weeks. I was delirious and kept a high temperature,, causing a loss of my hair. The doctor came to our farm house and administered a new drug on the market, called penicillin. It saved my life; I did not realize how close my life was threatened I went on living due to this miracle drug.

BLUE RIVER is a movie definitely not aimed at amusement. It will leave you disturbed as I was. Ninety minutes about disturbed young “men” are not often on the mark; this one caused me to reflect on my school years because I have seen two examples that this movie could have used. Boys in the wonder years, a time when youth enter the maze or sieve to emerge on the other side transformed into an adult. During this period, you may hear, “Boys will be boys!”, “He’s really a good kid.”, “Mischief is a part of it, he’ll grow out of this.”, “Give him space and you’ll see him amount to something.”, and the “Military will straighten him out!”

Franklin was our comic on the long school bus rides; we laughed when he could imitate others: teachers and our drivers. Adults were often not amused. He could be very serious, taking parts in school plays, like the role as the father of a juvenile delinquent -Deno. After graduation, he was accepted into NROTC. This was brief, the navy decided that they did not need any future officers with lots of humor and no openings for a standup comic. He married and started a family. I saw him at one of the early high school class reunions. He came in late and appeared to be eager to leave. I barely had a passing moment to say “Hello!” A few months after I had returned to Virginia, I heard that he had committed suicide.

Donnie was a nearby farm buddy. His mother was in poor health; Mom took me along for visits. He had a fascination for the big kitchen matches, used daily to start the kitchen stove and fireplaces. I think he liked the sudden explosion and the bright flame. At other times, he could do crazy things on the farm equipment. From this it was a trip to Florida in a ‘borrowed’ milk truck. He began to travel the roads and liked being a part of a crew that was fighting western forest fires. He died in his early twenties of tuberculosis.

The world missed out on having: a comic, great actor, a NASCAR driver, a smoke jumper or a possible expert on explosives. Today, I am sure things would have been different; we will never know!

When they came to many people, a man came up to Jesus and got on his knees. He said, “Lord, have pity on my son. He is very sick and at times loses the use of his mind. Many times he falls into the fire or into the water. I took him to Your followers but they were not able to heal him.” Then Jesus said, “You people of this day have no faith and you are going the wrong way. How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” Matthew 17th chapter, 14-17. (from TODAY’S ENGLISH version)