The Boy Who Forgot to Be a Boy

4 The Boy Who Forgot to Be a Boy Tom has always lived for ideas. Books and ideas have always fascinated him. Why should he care about people? They only made fun of him. They were jealous because he was so smart, or so he thought. It seemed that Tom knew everything-except one small detail. He didn't know how to get along with other people. He convinced his parents that school was a waste of time, so he began home schooling with special teachers. He dreamed of being the youngest person to enter university, and he sent letters to professors to see if it was possible. One day, the doorbell rang. When Tom opened the door, there was his idol-Professor Rosen. Tom was so excited that he almost fainted. The two talked for a long time, exchanging ideas. The professor was amazed at what this young boy knew. " Tom, tell me about your friends. What do you do for fun?" the professor wanted to know.

There was silence as Tom realized that he didn't really have any friends. “ Well, I don't have time for all that. I'm too busy with my studies, " he said. " That's a problem, Tom. You have to learn that the world is not just filled with ideas. It's filled with people. And you have to remember to be what you are. . . a boy. Boys need to have fun. " The professor talked a bit more and then said, " I have to go, but I have a test for you. In this box, there are three objects. I want you to learn how to use them. It's very complicated and you'll need another person to help you. Experiment and learn how to use them, and I'll be back in a week to see how you're doing. Then, I'll have another test for you. " The professor left and Tom opened the box. Inside were two baseball gloves and a ball.