The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1952-02-15
IT Taxes
ALL KINDS
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By DAVE WEST

| ~ AA0ACo q ftOAy POCA SeSNSO Ava
the contention that the human
race progresses; yet it seems to
us that the alarming thing about
adolescents is not that they are so
much unlike their parents at the
same Tor larvae) stage of develop
ment as that they are so much
LIKE them. It's almost as if the
faux pas of the fathers were visit
ed upon the sons in identical form.
The boys Singer over the same
witless thing their forebears did
the same improbable causes that
shattered the mothers dignities,
by making them giggle, ruin the
aplomb of the daughters +. This
makes very good argument for
living but once: live twice and
one will go through all that four
times! The second time one ex-
periences it, as parents of adde's
cents have always acknowledged
by denying that they ''ever heard
anything like it, is generally con-
ceded to be once too often.
The best humans there are are
boys and girls before they become
self-conscious. This stage lasts,
unfortunately, about as long as a
boy can concentrate on arithmetic
after a pal has gone down the
street with his bathing suit in his
hand; or as high school girl can
continue to attend to the Satur-
day morning busting after a car
has sounded its horn out front.
So long as they're unself-con-
scious, so long they're wholly ad.
mirabe. Let 'em once find out that
they, too, are a part of the world
they have happily observed for a
few years, then they're sure to
magnify the importance of that
tiny little part. In no time at all
they're just as insuierable as the
rest of us, altogether as obnox-
ious as adults. No you, of course,
and certainly not us, but adults"
in sense general enough to
catch everybody else in the post
blow gum stage.
Adolescents appear to enjoy
their condition, though it is not
conceivable Cor capable of being
remembered) to mature persons
that this should be so. In add.
ton to having whee of a time
for themselves, however, the in.
between-age mOrtals serve to
point up two very useful things
to their elders: adults can say
| with satisfaction, Thank heavens
I'm through with all that!" and
they SAVIOR the sweet pleasure OF
recalling exactly what they wish
of their own adolescence, which
will enable them to remark grave
ly and self-righteously (and rare
enough are the chances to enjoy
being self-righteous), 81 don't
know what young people are com
ing to nowadays. Why, in MY day
etc., ETC."
The comeback of the yo-yo is
most interesting. 1t seems pref
ty childish toy now. Yet we re
member acquiring an admiration
for Ed Paine, when he was high
school sophomore twenty.odd
years ago, based on nothing sound
er than the demonstration of his
marvellous skill in manipulating
the yo-yo. Why, Ed could make his
toy do loops and barrel rolls and
Immelmen turns and every other
maneuver described in the sensa
tional revelations of World War
pilots, then having a great play in
the magazines. Ut may be noted
too, that Ed turned out to be a
very level-headed young man de
spite what his elders must have
thought then of his devoting his
talents to so trivial an occupation
and is now doing very we'll for
himself on the staff of popular
magazine similar to those that
thrilled the lads of those days with
all the new stuff about aviation
On the other hand, Ed was an
exceptional lad-never saw any.
body who could match the tricks
he got out of that yo-yo!)