To Put Away Childish Things

From the first letter of Paul of Tarsus to the School at Corinth:

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. Chapter 13, verse 11

One interpretation of this quote is that "childish things" refers to spiteful emotions and child-like temper tantrums. But the quote does have some ambiguity, and my own father always assumed that it referred to any childhood relic - toys, games, dolls included.

My father, now deceased, was a rather grim person. He smiled three times and laughed twice over the many years he lived. He was a very bright mathematician, but humor and levity were beyond him. A certain self-consciousness governed his actions, and he would never do anything that could be termed silly, off-the-wall, or God forbid, age-inappropriate. His desire to be the adult role model superseded anything else. I have two adult friends that remind me of Dad, on a lesser scale. I asked if they'd either one ever watched "The Simpsons", a hilarious, long-running, socially satirical cartoon. Alas, they had not; the main reason, I fear, is that it's animated. Cartoons are by definition "juvenile". So, my friends will let this taboo prevent them from ever enjoying a touchstone of American popular culture.

There are many things one could say are childish. How about the mere act of getting excited - over anything. (A new car, a trip to an amazing new place)? Liking something so much that you let out a "yahoo!" or a "wow!". A simple expression of joy or enthusiasm is muffled and strangled if need be. One must be cool and sedate. Must have been there; have to have done that.

Extreme liking is a form of naivete, which is next door to childishness. Also, we live in a culture of "hip" where everyone needs to out hip the next guy. The ultimate hip style is to be stoic and unimpressed. To be honest, some roles do call for decorum and reserve: ministers, teachers and undertakers come to mind. One need only think of Dan Quayle jumping up and down at his 1988 veep announcement to understand "appropriate settings". But in familiar company, is it so wrong to have fun, or be funny?

Now lets talk about toys. What are they anyway? The dictionary uses the terms "plaything" and "trifle". As I look at my desk, I see a Palm handheld, an iPod, an Austin Powers action figure, and an Audi TT Coupe 1/43 scale car among other gizmos and trifles....and I'm 47! Others may have golf clubs, guns, boats, wood cutting tools at home. In my own mind, a toy is something which is not a total necessity, but which engages your dexterity and imagination. Many adults have them, but my father was not among those adults. He didn't like putting together or looking at the Christmas toys his own children received. Childish things. I, on the other hand, must be pulled out of Toys 'R Us. Of course, I'm there shopping for young relatives. :-) Toys can be big and small. Don't let the fact that your toy cost 33 thousand dollars diminish its toyfulness. If you didn't really need it, and it gives you a secret thrill, it's a toy.

In sum, I guess I would say that Paul's quote must mean "childish things" as childhood's malevolent emotions. Because, to quote John (actually, Johnny Carson from the "Tonight Show") we are all just an eyeblink from childhood. For some of us, it's less than a blink. And for that, I am truly grateful.