Boys of (Spanish) Summer
The Croatian boys are visiting us here in Cadiz and Tin has instantly found his groove with them. It’s a great time to practice his Croatian and also feel like he’s amongst boys. Meanwhile, we formed a little band here in the apartment and had a jazz jam early in the day yesterday.
After a couple of weeks I’m getting to play host to this lovely city. It’s so easy to do here because the city is so beautiful.
But back to the boys. I grew up with a handful of them – grandfather, father, uncles, brothers – and really there is no substitute for having boys around. For Tin who used to get girl crushes, now it’s the men, the musicians, the boys who I see him identifying with even at this young of an age.
He is quick to pick up with a boy band anytime one pops up like these guys did yesterday on the ocean walk:
But it’s also just hanging out with the boys that he is starting to like to do more and more.
Growing up boy is possibly most difficult in the U.S. where the boy code has become entrenched in the daily fabric of life. Be tough, be strong, man up, don’t be a sissy, don’t be a wuss, don’t be a mama’s boy. In Spain (and Europe), despite the macho code that does exist, men tend to be much more touchy feely, more physically demonstrative, and less afraid of assuming a nurturing role around children.
Thank heaven for boys – they are truly their own force of nature in all of their incarnations.
