The other day, a fifteen-year old friend and myself went for a stroll through my local neighborhood. A suburb of the San Diego city center, Clairemont is comprised of undulating hills of coastal desert terrain. We walked amongst native flora, which is currently popping in brilliant hues of spring, - lilacs, magentas, oranges, yellows, and many shades of green, - thanks to a miraculously moist winter season. As we walked we spoke of many things, - art, school, family, life, and the future.
He is a bright boy who teeters on the precipice of two worlds, - his earthy mother teaches Kundalini yoga and feels most at home while wearing a turban. His patriotic father is an ex-Navy Seal who works for the government and feels most at home while waving the stars and stripes. Both of his parents encourage his multi-faceted personalities and interests. At times, he sports a blond mohawk, wears tight fitting jeans, and walks with that teen swagger that only the young and inexperienced know how to do. He is an accomplished beatboxer, martial artist, wrestler, and magician. He cares about his family, and the planet. He has mentioned in the past that he wanted to pursue music as a career but, on this day, he spoke of entering Navy Seal training once he graduates from high school. "I want to put myself through the hardest training known to mankind," he said. He espoused facts and numbers, relevant only to those who care for such propaganda. "In past conflicts, the ratio of enemy combatants killed per Navy Seal has been roughly 200 to 1." "So, you want to kill people?" I inquired.
He spoke about current world events, - of China's rise on the world stage to empire. "They are threatening military action if we do not repay the billions of dollars in debt that we owe them," he warned. He discussed Islamic militants and the religious fanaticism that fuels their ji-had. He wanted to draw a comparison between modern-day America and the ancient civilization of Sparta. "Sparta was a communally driven society in which agreement was an important, and acted upon value. Dissent in America today is slowly dissolving our social fabric."
I listened, swallowing my desire to speak up for what is just in an unjust world while allowing it to fade into a comfortable repose. I let the young, developing man be in his place of teenage turbulence. Some day, all too soon, he will have to choose, - between his father's institutionalized dogma and his mother's nurturing intuition.
It is my hope that he fords his own destiny, - that he will weave through the world with a spine of steel and with an open, vulnerable heart. For now, however, we can just walk together, enjoying the earth's bounty.
