Little Boy Blue

Strawberry Jam Is The Best Jam

Chapter 7 - Little Boy Blue

Imagine two children. An elder brother and a younger brother. The mother of these two children brings back two toy trains from the toy shop. A red one and a blue one. The elder brother takes the red train. "Red's my favourite colour!" The younger brother, by default, is then left with the blue train.

Blue now has to be the younger child's favourite colour ..their badge, their standard. As red is already taken. If they say that red is their "favourite colour" too, they get accused of copying. Plus, if they both have red trains, how will they know which is which. This simple reality may then become part of that child's self-image. "Yes, my favourite colour is blue!" Even though it's not a reflection of their actual taste, more a reflection of their circumstance. (Though to some extent our real tastes are partly a product of circumstance, and circumstance can imbue meaning. A Sweater Shop jumper once worn by a girl you had a crush on has its beauty and meaning enhanced by her presence. Though the stripey jumper, with its pretty colours, may have already had something of an aesthetic appeal to begin with.)

Another 90s reference for you there.

Of course, it doesn't have to be blue, it could be any colour. "What about orange? You like orange. Orange is a cool colour. Why not get an orange train?" Either way, you get the idea.

Parents often put their children on different teams when it comes to actual personality traits too. If one child is a bit noisy and out-going the other child becomes "the quiet one" by default. Personalities do naturally differ, however, the truth is, the differences are rarely large, especially between siblings. Parents noticing these differences will often over-exaggerate them though. "Stevie's a little tearaway, he's always getting into bother, but Timmy is no bother at all, you never hear a peep from him." Once typecast in such a way it can become hard to escape the label and expectations.

The reality is, we can all be quiet or loud at times. Troublesome or well-behaved. The full spectrum of human emotion and behaviour a possibility in all of us. Just as the entire spectrum of colours is open to our choice and appreciation. Not just blue or red.