Beau slept in a Fireworks tent for two weeks before Independence Day. He got paid $25 a night plus all the fireworks he wanted. If he came in early or stayed late she paid him for the time. It was a sweet deal for him. CJ had done it when he was a teen, too. I suppose it could have been dangerous had someone tried to come steal, it was on the main mini-highway between Smithville and Kearney. His instructions were that if someone after he had closed the tent and he told them that he was closed and if they indicated they weren’t there to buy fireworks, well, he should just take off. The tent was at the edge of the property of the homeowner with the house in full view so I wasn’t too worried.

I was more concerned that pranking kids would come and try to scare him or worse, sickos might think it fun to beat him up out there all alone. I asked him if Carol, the tent owner, knew that anyone could be come in a steal everything in the place while he slept soundly. He just laughed and shrugged.

One night about 11:00 pm someone did stop by to buy fireworks, noticing that the lights were on. The kid was pleased and surprised that it was “open”. Beau sold what he wanted and didn’t mention that he just hadn’t gotten around to closing the tent down yet.

It turned out he was rarely alone anyway. He had company almost every night. His brother Kevin, would often stop by on his way home from work around 11:00 and his Dad would stop by on his way to work at midnight. Girls brought him goodies and boys came for the to play the X-Box that Carol had set up out in the tent for the workers to play during down time.

One morning at 6:30 he was awakened by a “Pssst. PSSST. PSSSSST!” He groggily lifted his head to see a pair of eyes peaking in above the door of the tent. It startled him until he realized it was morning (almost) and it was his tall friend, Jared. His dad had dropped him off at the tent to visit with Beau while he ran in to pick up breakfast before they headed off to work.

Several nights it was an all night party with 4 or 5 boys showing up and playing games while he eventually slept. He had to get up and go to work at 8:00 in the morning! I was always surprised that these kids’ moms let them stay there with Beau all night or at least well into the next day. I guess it says a lot about Beau’s reputation and the way we trust our kids. Trust. We parents pretty much have that among this bunch of kids. They do stupid stuff like any kid but, so far, not stupid, stupid stuff.

It’s not that idiotic, blind kind of trust that some parents have that their kids are always right, truthful or good. Those parents are constantly making excuses for bad behavior and bailing their kids out and their kids keep getting into bigger and bigger trouble. I’m just saying that these kids are making mostly good choices and have earned our trust. When one of them starts to make dumb choices the others respond by trying to pull them back. We parents don’t have to do it much, their peers do it and they accept it so much better coming from them. They really are close. They really do love and accept each other!

Pro 18:24 Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family.