Innocence

Just was thinking as I brushed my teeth- when did innocence become a bad thing for a young person to have, in our society? It used to be a virtue for young ladies at least, and young men as well, I think. And certainly fiction is full of stories of babies and animals who do things because they are too young and innocent to realize that htey can't. (c.f. Pixel, who is The Cat Who Walks Through Walls in the book of that title, and Magnus in The Warlock Revised, who requires a crib with a lid on it because otherwise he floats away, a tactic he sadly looses/learns to control in the other books of the series) It's a strange division.

Innocence

Just was thinking as I brushed my teeth- when did innocence become a bad thing for a young person to have, in our society? It used to be a virtue for young ladies at least, and young men as well, I think. And certainly fiction is full of stories of babies and animals who do things because they are too young and innocent to realize that htey can't. (c.f. Pixel, who is The Cat Who Walks Through Walls in the book of that title, and Magnus in The Warlock Revised, who requires a crib with a lid on it because otherwise he floats away, a tactic he sadly looses/learns to control in the other books of the series) It's a strange division.

Cultural Stereotypes and Offensiveness

"Eat lots of food and help snip my hair. Make me Finally look like a real boy!!" -Chabad rabbi, in an email putting words into his 3 year old son's mouth.

I suppose that means that my 3 and a half year old cousin Daniel with long hair isn't a "real boy". Or that my uncle, several male friends with long hair, and at least one former teacher aren't real men either. I'm kind of contemplating emailing back and being offended- their standard isn't the only one around here. I know men who look perfectly manly with long hair. I know it isn't in their cultural preference for boys over the age of 3 to have long hair- but that doesn't imply that there aren't perfectly real boys out there with long hair. (What's an unreal boy?) I don't know if they're just being oblivious in their attempt to be cute, or if they're really out to make statements that say that the way a number of people I'm close to deal with their hair is illegitimate. If the latter, I want to send a nice upset and angry email in their direction.

Cultural Stereotypes and Offensiveness

"Eat lots of food and help snip my hair. Make me Finally look like a real boy!!" -Chabad rabbi, in an email putting words into his 3 year old son's mouth.

I suppose that means that my 3 and a half year old cousin Daniel with long hair isn't a "real boy". Or that my uncle, several male friends with long hair, and at least one former teacher aren't real men either. I'm kind of contemplating emailing back and being offended- their standard isn't the only one around here. I know men who look perfectly manly with long hair. I know it isn't in their cultural preference for boys over the age of 3 to have long hair- but that doesn't imply that there aren't perfectly real boys out there with long hair. (What's an unreal boy?) I don't know if they're just being oblivious in their attempt to be cute, or if they're really out to make statements that say that the way a number of people I'm close to deal with their hair is illegitimate. If the latter, I want to send a nice upset and angry email in their direction.