I watched the movie, Mud,
this past weekend. It's a modern day coming-of-age story set in Arkansas.
The main character, a 12-year-old boy, tenaciously holds onto his romantic
vision of true love and the sacrifices one should make to achieve that vision. He
does this despite the "reality" that surrounds him – his parents’
failed marriage, a "girlfriend" who ignores him, and adults seeking
revenge. It’s not necessarily a great movie, but I'm a sucker for coming-of-age
stories (I love Huck Finn). I love stories in which young people change as a
result of adventures, who by all rights should become damaged goods as a result
of these adventures, and yet refuse to give up on the perfectibility of
humankind. These stories are the best!
So here's my question – can a young person in suburban
Boston have a coming-of-age experience today? Does a 12-year-old in a private
school or a suburban public school have enough freedom to actually have a
transformative adventure? Are there any Huck Finns out there? We have scheduled
our children, tethered them to our cell phones, and planned their lives to the
nth degree so there's no room for adventure. The only adventure they
see is in the movies or maybe a book. Will global competition, the internet,
and hyper-connectivity squeeze out the coming-of-age story? I don't know, but I
am worried.
