Man of Action
At ten years old?
Loved going to Stephen's place for the day. Huge house, even bigger garden. His mum made us milky coffee and biscuits at 11:00.
"You boys are like angels when you play... so quiet."
She wouldn't say that if she'd seen us getting up to 'mischief' with his older brother.
After coffee, we headed into the garden with our Action Man figures.
"Mortar attack, dig in!" came the pull-string command, and we dived our men for cover. Then, Stephen noticed the sweater my Action Man was wearing.
"Mum's showing me how to knit," I explained.
"What kind of boy does knitting?"
O ~ o ~
With thanks to Shirley Belk for the inspiration and the challenge
My mother, Alma Gwendoline Rance (1930-2017), who was at one time a seamstress in a London slumland sweatshop, taught me to knit and sew. When me and another friend were caught practising, that friend's father (who was from Manchester, in the north of England) spent the rest of the day making fun of us. I still use my needle skills from time to time but haven't knitted anything since my Action Man era.
Thanks for reading
About the Creator
Raymond G. Taylor
Author living in Kent, England. Writer of short stories and poems in a wide range of genres, forms and styles. A non-fiction writer for 40+ years. Subjects include art, history, science, business, law, and the human condition.
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Comments (13)
part I loved the best: tribute to the mothers who encouraged their sons to truly be gentlemen and expand their thinking and "artful" skills. I could taste those biscuits and milky coffee and even smell the dirt flying from combat. I would say those mamas raised their sons to be the "complete" men of action! Loved thinking about Ray at ten!
Very cute! Great job on the sewing & knitting! I’m left handed & my quick tempered mother didn’t have the patience to teach me to knit!😢
Oh, but that is a cute story that also incudes loving memories of your mother. :)
As a knitter, I so respect a man who can work the needle! In 2015, when I visited the Aran Islands, allegedly the birthplace of knitting, I kept thinking that knitting must have been invented by fishermen who needed water-resistant and relatively quick-drying wool clothing in the sea. And women picked it up later as the practice of care for their men.
Knit one, purl two, everyone should know how to.
Cute stuff & what an awesome skill to have Raymond!
I remember playing 'War' with my toy soldiers. By the way I learned how to sew and crochet too. There's nothing wrong with boys or men doing these crafts. One must know how to sew a button or patch a pair of pants or make a blanket for cold autumn and winter days and nights. Good job,
Well-wrought! Nothing useful is the province of any one group.
Enjoyed your story and will defer my comments for judging :)
Would that be the Manchester, in the north of England, that made its entire fortune from cloth? Matey's father might want to consider how his forebears put food on their table before he was even a gleam in the millowner's eye.
Everyone should learn to sew! It's sad how quickly fun can be cut down by someone being judgemental.
that was fun , and it happened with me too
To me, sewing is a life skill. It's good that your mom taught you that. So sorry you were made fun of though