Boys Are Gross
“Boys Are Gross” (9 October 2023)
Theme songs: ‘Ana Julia’ and ‘Unanswered Prayers’
Okay folks, I am scrambling to come to terms with a recent onslaught of pictures that have appeared on my iPhone, pictures of boys, and these boys are talking to my daughters! So, here I am, trying to set things straight the only way I know how, by writing a farm story.
Let me start by quoting some of my wise daughters and say unequivocally that “boys are gross”! I was reminded of this again this past Saturday at the Marine Corps Ball where Mom and I requested the wonderful song, ‘Ana Julia’. It was the best song of the night, and you may notice that Ana Julia doesn’t even like the boy!
My first date was to a girl’s-choice dance with Rose Marie Christensen. If I remember right we doubled with Colleen Schenk and Shad Rindlesbaker. I was picked up in an actual pickup and we went to Rose’s home in historic Chesterfield, Idaho where we rode horses and ate a picnic that they had prepared. Some might say this picnic was not as exciting as the meal your great-grandfather H. Eugene Nielsen took on his first date with the charming Dorothy Crockett (a watermelon and two live chickens), but I quite enjoyed the sandwiches.
Despite growing up in rural Idaho I did not often ride horses and I remember this horseback ride as probably the most pleasant I ever had. Maybe that is because they picked out a calm horse for me, maybe it was because I had instruction along the way, or maybe the experience was made better due to good company. But whatever the reason, we had a great time riding horses, attending the school dance, and then having some dessert at the Schenk home before heading home.
Garth Brooks has a well-known song called “Unanswered Prayers” where he thanks God for not granting the wish of his youth to be forever with his high school sweetheart. He found that life had changed him and that he realized how happy and grateful he was that life had proceeded as it had. Unlike Garth Brooks, I never prayed that Rose, or any other girl I knew in high school, would be mine. At that age I was never very interested in having a girlfriend, but I did enjoy going on occasional dates and getting to know others.
I was rather quiet in school and I found that dates were great opportunities to get to know others, and myself at the same time, and I especially liked group dates because I didn’t have to talk as much! For example, you might think I should have known Rose pretty well. After all, we were a class of 15 students at North Gem and she had been in my class since we were 5 years old and in kindergarten. But I think it’s likely that I spoke more words to Rose, and learned more about her during this date, than in the previous 11 years combined.
Because I never dated excessively, Marci and I found it funny one day shortly after we were married to hear my mom say something to the effect of “Roger dated more than most of our other boys”. After my mission I worked four to five evenings a week at the Missionary Training Center which significantly decreased time available for dating, and I probably could have had a more active dating life, but am grateful for the things I learned about others and myself through my dating experiences.
I love you and pray that you each might be blessed physically, mentally, spiritually, and yes, even socially.
In summary:
Boys are Gross
Ana Julia is a great song
Grateful for children that know how to make wise decisions
Grateful Marci Forsberg gave this young bozo a chance
Love Always,
Dad
Cowboy Caleb
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