The Kindness Of Teenagers

I think, at times, Teenagers get a bad rap.

I think we forget that under all the bravado, hormone craze, frantic fad following and rebellion they are really just kids who are trying hard to grow into adults. That they are trying desperately to find their own place in this world just like we all did in what seems (at times) to be eons ago.

One of weekly things I do with my son, MiniWarrior, is to take him to the Mall. It helps him learn socialization and sensory control. We've been making an outing of it every Saturday for a couple of years now.

Now there are 3 current loves in MiniWarrior's life:

1. Swords
2. Anything gruesome related to Halloween
3. Teenagers

There are 3 stores that MiniWarrior loves in the Mall:

1. Spencers
2. Hot Topic
3. The Sword/Knife shop

I was excited to bring MiniWarrior to the Mall this Saturday because I had seen that Spencers had started to decorate for Halloween. We arrived and MiniWarrior "Ooh'd" and "Aah'd" at the freaky monsters standing in the windows of Spencers and stepped inside the store with a huge grin on his face.

There was a particular gruesome creature on the floor which was just a torso and a head. I knew MiniWarrior would love it as it sort of looks like Smegal on (MiniWarrior's favorite movie--The Hobbit). I pointed it out to MiniWarrior and said, "Me Precious! Me Precious!"

He was standing there giggling when all of a sudden this friggen Smegal creature started crawling across the floor towards him moaning! I jumped back in surprise and looked over at MiniWarrior. His eyes were the size of 50 cent pieces and he scrambled over to me bellowing, " MOM! MOM!"

We heard a muffled chuckle and then a teenage store clerk came from around one of the Halloween displays wielding a remote control. He showed it to MiniWarrior and moved the Smegal creature back and forth a bit. MiniWarrior laughed and chatted with the guy. The kid then walked around and pushed all sorts of buttons on the various Halloween displays grinning as MiniWarrior exclaimed excitedly over everything.

He did the "cool dude" hand slide-fist bump handshake with MiniWarrior as we left Spencers. Grinned and waved and wished us a "Great Day!".


Next it was on to the Toy Shop for the new toy sword of the week. We found an entire Knight set for 7 dollars. Chest plate, Shield and Sword. The teenage store clerk at the Toy Store patiently snipped each plastic band holding the set into the packaging and grinned as she handed MiniWarrior each piece. MiniWarrior left the store whirling and stabbing make believe enemies.


Next it was on to the Sword/Knife Shop. MiniWarrior did battle a bit with the armored Knight that stood guard outside the Sword shop then stepped in to gaze longingly at the REAL swords on display. The young guy working there called MiniWarrior over and admired MiniWarrior's new Knight outfit. Then...he let MiniWarrior hold a REAL sword patterned after the Lord Of The Rings King Sword! The sword was as tall as MiniWarrior. He could barely hold it...honestly I don't know who's smile was bigger, MiniWarrior's, mine or the young store clerks.

A couple of teenagers were perusing the store and walked over to chat with MiniWarrior a while he held the sword. They admonished him about trying to hold it by the blade and helped him get a better grip on the handle.

There was happy laughter behind us as we exited the store and MiniWarrior turned to me saying, "MOM! How AWESOME of a day am I having?!"

Off to Hot Topic Store and more perusing. Teenagers were milling around looking surly--all wild hair colored and dressed in tough looking black clothes adorned with silver zippers and dangles.

MiniWarrior grinned and talked to each one. He admired the young store clerks red colored hair. He asked her if she was a "rock star". She laughed and said, "she wished". She listened as he expressed his wish to have colored hair then gently pointed out that "halloween" was the best time for boys to have "colored hair".

He stopped and admired another teens eyebrow piercings. She leaned down so he could get a closer look and let him "touch" one. He beamed and declared her "cool". She smiled a shy smile and said, "your pretty cool yourself." MiniWarrior nodded and moved on to the next Teen. A few more "hand slide-bump knuckle" handshakes later and we were off. I turned my head as we walked out of the store and every teen there had a smile on their faces as they watched MiniWarrior strut out in his full Knight regalia.