Just A Boy, Giving It All Away...A fable

The story starts as they do, once upon a time, in a world that now seems so long ago and far away, there was a young man. He was a prideful fellow, confident of his look and appeal to the ladies. In a word, he was a fool, as most young men are. This young man went through a period in his life in which he seemingly was right-the girls did like him! And so his ego grew. It became as immense as the greatest of the redwoods.

One evening, on a lark, this arrogant young knight decided to demonstrate his awe inspiring powers of romantic persuasion to a friend of his-yes, he boldly announced to his comrade, this night shall be great, I will now demonstrate the ease in which I can obtain a date.

I paid all my dues so I picked up my shoes,
I got up and walked away.
Oh, I was just a boy,
I didn't know how to play.

Worked hard and failed
now all I can say is
I threw it all away.
Oh, I was just a boy
giving it all away...

So, he decided that the nice young lady that he worked with, and who he saw was indeed closing the place of his employ that evening would be just fine. And by gum, within five minutes, she had phoned home to make sure that Mom and Dad would watch her daughter, and had agreed to accompany the young buck to the party. Pride being a hungry beast, it swallowed a little more of his decency, as he bathed in his own perceived glory.

That evening, he tried any manner of persuasion to separate the young woman from various articles of her clothing, but ah-ah-ah. She was wiser than he thought. No simple conquest for our warrior, but instead something he found far more intriguing. An intelligent, thinking woman, one easily his equal in raw intellect, and vastly his superior in experience and worldliness.

sail away, sail away,
ooh, I know better now, I know better now
giving it all away

ooh, I know better now, I know better now
I've given it all away...

Went out in the world too much for my nerves
only myself to blame.
oh, I was just a boy
nobody else to blame...

And so it began-the self involved, ego-maniacal young man, learning at the knee (and it must be said, other parts) of the kind, humored, slightly older woman. The truth is, she was a mere three years older, but the gap might as well have been decades. Verses of Maggie Mae wafted in and out of his life through the seasons, as she taught him a lifetime of experiences, and how to give and feel, and indeed to love.

And then it ended as quickly as it had begun. The boy cried, for truthfully that's all he was, he didn't understand why it all went away, nor how the love he had learned to give no longer mattered, and he still really doesn't today. But by God, he's trying

I've done all I can, now it's out of my hands
stand on my head and say
oh, I was just a boy
giving it all away...

sail away, sail away,
ooh, I know better now, I know better now
giving it all away

ooh, I know better now, I know better now
ain't gonna give it all away...

The end.