Boys Will Be Boys

This past weekend, seeing as how it was a long weekend, we went shopping. One of the usual stops for my brother and I is the local game store to check out some of the latest games, seeing what bargains we can find or what catches our eye. As with most game stores, this one at Montgomery Mall had several booths set up with games for customers to test. As we entered the store we noticed that there was one young boy, probably no more than ten or eleven playing a game while his younger brother watched. As my brother and I browsed the store, we could hear the growing frustration of the ten year old.

Finally at one point, the ten year old threw down the controller in disgust and began chewing out his brother about distracting him and causing him to die. His younger brother took this as a cue to begin his turn at the game. His brother said he'd stand by and do the same thing as his brother did to him. The younger one began playing and the ten year old began to tap his younger brother on the shoulder incessantly. Needless to say, the distraction proved too much for the younger one and he quickly lost his turn. Thus the argument increased in severity with both brothers accusing the other of causing the problem. The argueent quickly escalated to the point that despite the dull roar of hundreds of voices from the mall filtering in, all we could hear was the childish arguing of these two kids.

Nary a parent in sight, the store manager took it upon himself to switch off the machine to end the argument. That only served to further increase the cause for argument with both brothers accusing the other of being the cause for the machine to be shut off. They exited the store to the happiness of most of us in there but I quickly realized that no matter how old the kid, certain traits just never seem to leave some people. Why do I say this? Because just as I saw this argument by two kids whose combined age wasn't even eighteen, I have seen grown men, whose combined age is over 65 argue in the same manner at a picnic.

We were playing a game of softball when one accused the other of playing unfairly. The argument began and soon the tranquility of the day was interupted by two grown men arguing over whether a ball was hit foul or fair. You would think that at their age they'd be able to work through the differences very easily. I mean it was just a friendly game we were playing during a picnic in the park. But the way the argument was going, you'd think it was the last game of the World Series being played out in Shenendoah Park.

Oh well... I guess no matter what, boys will be boys.