Tuesday, February 17, 2026
ESSAY - RITES OF PASSAGE
BY DONOVAN BALDWIN
Just Thinking:
I don't believe all "rites of passage" have to involve pain, but, growing up, a few did. I can only speak about guys at a certain place and time, yet, comparing notes with other "guys" over the years, we had similar experiences.
Our fathers seemed to believe that, despite my opening comment, one way to teach us was to cause pain.
In my dad's case, one example was, "Here. Hold this wire..." as he cranked a lawnmower.
Of course, the wire I was holding, poorly shielded, was the lead to the spark plug.
Ouch! Electricity hurts!
Of course, this can seem cruel, but, I learned a few valuable lessons about dealing with electricity, fish hooks, dull knives, misused tools, mistreated animals, and even people, through the time-tested "pain" method, which probably goes back to some caveman telling his kid, "Hey, Og! Wave your arms at that tiger to distract him, while I bop him on the head with this club."
That's how Og began his lessons on how to hunt and become a tribal leader like his old man.
Of course, Og's dad caught hell from the REAL tribal leader, his cavewoman wife, when she found out.
Still, Og and his dad formed a powerful bond, as the boy realized his dad had started to ready him to take a place in the lodge of men, and that Grandpa had probably done something similar to his dad to initiate HIM into manhood.
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| DONOVAN BALDWIN |
I don't believe all "rites of passage" have to involve pain, but, growing up, a few did. I can only speak about guys at a certain place and time, yet, comparing notes with other "guys" over the years, we had similar experiences.
Our fathers seemed to believe that, despite my opening comment, one way to teach us was to cause pain.
In my dad's case, one example was, "Here. Hold this wire..." as he cranked a lawnmower.
Of course, the wire I was holding, poorly shielded, was the lead to the spark plug.
Ouch! Electricity hurts!
Of course, this can seem cruel, but, I learned a few valuable lessons about dealing with electricity, fish hooks, dull knives, misused tools, mistreated animals, and even people, through the time-tested "pain" method, which probably goes back to some caveman telling his kid, "Hey, Og! Wave your arms at that tiger to distract him, while I bop him on the head with this club."
That's how Og began his lessons on how to hunt and become a tribal leader like his old man.
Of course, Og's dad caught hell from the REAL tribal leader, his cavewoman wife, when she found out.
Still, Og and his dad formed a powerful bond, as the boy realized his dad had started to ready him to take a place in the lodge of men, and that Grandpa had probably done something similar to his dad to initiate HIM into manhood.
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If you liked this essay by the Fort Worth poet, Donovan Baldwin, you might enjoy his poems Neath Her Heated Skin.
Labels: donovan baldwin, essay, rites of passage
# posted by Donovan Baldwin @ 11:52 AM 
