Tom Gaines

Growing Up: How Little Guys Become Big Guys Without Our Noticing It Tom Gaines

Little guys become bigger guys through the universal process called Growing Up. We all go through it. There are the big events; the first day of school, confirmation or bar mitzvah, winning a major football game, or being able to drive a car. But this is not a book about those times. This book is a collection of stories about the little incidents we too often miss in the development of the youngster. They involve discovering concepts such as being open to new ideas by taking one's first music lesson, realizing the value of heritage by witnessing a real, live, steam locomotive, learning acceptance by visiting an unknown neighbor. They are subtle lessons learned in the areas of preparedness, compassion, and even intuition that help mold the boy into the man without his realizing it. This collection follows boys from ages six to twenty, highlighting those kinds of unnoticed events. When sewn together, they illustrate how these seemingly infinitesimal incidents create a miracle-the ordinary, day-by-day part of Growing Up. Now be advised that this collection consists entirely of boys growing up. This choice was made largely because the author is a Geriatric Teenage Boy at heart. He has known and dealt with boys all his life. After all, boys are rough and tumble, the kind of souls that, as the author's mother used to say, 'wouldn't know a brick hurt until it fell on them!' So, for these pages, enjoy this particular slant on the process of Growing Up.