Where did my little boy go?

Where did my little boy go?

There was this little boy I used to know.  He had dish-water blond hair with curls in the back, and he was the most interesting little man I'd ever met.  He was logical, analytical, and overtly curious about everything.  He was orderly, precise, and smart.  For example, he would take books out of a bookshelf and line them up in size order across a room.  He would remove storage containers from kitchen cabinets and line them up across the kitchen floor ... all in order.  He would investigate odd things he'd find, like packed coffee cakes (for cappuccinos) ... and then taste them to see if they were good cookies.  He would sip from cups, taste from plates, and push any buttons he could find.  He would sit on the floor and investigate his toes, and search under sofas and beds. He would sit in a high chair, still unable to walk, but able to select a game and put it into a computer and press the right buttons on the keyboard to "Jump Start" and play.

Where did this little boy go?

He has grown up.

Now he has closely cropped light brown hair, with a quirky wave in the front and an occasional curl over the forehead.  He is the most interesting young man I know.  He is logical, analytical, and overtly curious about everything.  He is no longer orderly, as his world surrounds his being, filling the space he occupies.  He is precise in his studies, and extremely smart, amazing me with the knowledge he has garnered over the years.  The books no longer sit neatly on a shelf, but lay in stacks around his desk and chair.  No longer do the books lay in a simple line across the room, but lay helter-skelter wherever he sits, available to grab in any spare moment to be devoured by the still curious mind.  He no longer removes containers from the cabinets to line them up across the floor, but pulls them out to mix, stir, and cook up meals ... storing those things which may remain as leftovers.  He no longer occupies the middle of the kitchen floor playing with lids and spoons, but uses them in a creative way to prepare meals, snacks, and goodies for his family ... and helping in keep order in the kitchen.  He investigates the great outdoors, enamored by frogs, birds, and fuzzy creatures.  He investigates tidbits of information, delving into the world wide web of information on the computer, creating images, papers, and stories for himself.  His creativeness extends past the computer into make-believe, music, dance, and art.

Where did my little boy go?

He grew up.