Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Determination

Yesterday afternoon on the bus I met a very angry five-year-old boy. I don't have any idea why he was so angry; his father led us to believe he had been denied something and wasn't happy about it. This young man was determined to remain furious for the entire bus ride. I've never seen someone frown with such focus. He concentrated with all of his being on pulling his brows down as far as they would go. His teeth were clenched and his face was scrunched up tight. He stomped his feet as hard as they could stomp, and then he squatted down and put his arms around his knees. It was the most exquisite sulk I've ever seen. The lady sitting next to me and I couldn't help laughing with delight at the boy's display. He glared at us dolefully and then worked on his frown some more. I couldn't help but be impressed by this kid. Okay, right now he's causing his father a lot of grief, and his father is responding by muttering, "He's gotta learn that he can't get everything he wants." But when he's older this same stubborn refusal to budge could turn him into a hero. When I saw him glaring over his knees, the phrase that came into my head was, "We shall not be moved." I thought, if this kid gets some encouragement to stick to his guns when it really counts, he could become a great force for good. I envisioned him becoming an advocate for people with lesser-heard voices, and when the powers that be want to push him around, he'd glare at them with the same frown he's been perfecting since he was five, and say, "We shall not be moved."