When I was a boy (as most boys do or want to do) – perhaps as young as 7 – I played in any body of water within reach even if it was a mud puddle.
Why? I’m not sure. For my friends and I there was a magnetic attraction that was impossible to deny or resist (much like God’s grace). Creeks meant freedom and fun, two concepts often found as fellows.
When my family lived in Reece City, AL (outside of Gadsden), there was a creek that ran close by my yard. It was (and still is as far as I know) a bit dark and snaky. There were critters and small fish all about. It was muddy and mucky water. There was a large tree on the bank and my friends and I, obviously because of our superior intellects, climbed this tree and jumped out of it into the 4-feet or so of water.
One of my friends was brave (stupid) enough to climb up extremely high into that tree and dive off into the shallow water. As I recall the murky water was blended with crimson blood there for a moment or two.
My parents were nowhere in sight and nobody else’s were either. We might have needed them to call an ambulance, but we never did and they never did. I realize that this is not always the case with pre-teen boys playing in dark creeks. So I do not want to pretend like we should let our children run and do whatever they want whenever they want. Nor am I naive to the realities of child predators who take their sin natures to an extreme, snatching away youthfulness and innocence.
That said, today I went outside to find Noah (nearly 10) who had been outside awhile. I was just curious as to his location and safety status. As I was walking around our apartment campus I noticed Noah’s familiar laugh and the shared laughter of three other boys – his friends: Garrett, Bailey, and Corey.
I followed the sound of boyhood. Where did it lead me? To the creek. Where else? Yes, there is a mini-creek that runs right next to our apartments. Like boys of every era these boys were magnetically drawn to the water. After all, critters lurk there. The fulfillment of boyhood desires ripple with the shallow waves as the water snakes slowly by: hypnotic, mesmerizing, full of mystery.
Noah made an apologetic for his presence. He seemed to know intuitively that he was in trouble. Interestingly, nothing within me felt anything like anger or parentally angst. Instead the memories of my own creek experiences surfaced along with a fairly large smile on my face.
I left him to play with his friends in the creek. So far he has survived.
