Some people believe the behavioral differences between boys and girls are a result of how they are raised rather than the gender they happen to have slid down the chute with. I’m not sure of the statistical split but I would have to believe the majority of those who believe nurture over nature probably have either no children or have never raised a boy and a girl in the same household.

It just so happens I have two children who were naturally born into separate genders and nurtured in the same household by the same parents. This fact has granted me a front row seat to the nature versus nurture battle and nurture appears to be taking a beating.

The experts who rally on the side of nurture claim we direct our children down gender specific behavioral paths of likes and dislikes through our treatment of them. I believe I could have dressed my son in culottes and blingy Barbie tank tops when he was in his early formative years, and he would still enjoy baseball and army surplus stores. On the flip side I’m pretty sure I could have dressed my daughter in flannel shirts with a Johnny Unitas haircut, and she still would have grown up to love shopping and reading Teen Vogue.

Males and females are naturally different, which is good for many reasons, and people who debate this point should have a couple kids so they’re too busy or enlightened to debate.

You show me a boy who doesn’t love a visit to an army surplus store then I’m not so sure you’re showing me a boy. When we were kids whenever we made it to the big city of Williston, we would beg to go to the army surplus store. I remember on one particular visit my brother and I begged our mom to buy us throwing knives.

What kind of mother would buy two boys who have a history of injuring one another throwing knives? A mother that had just spent eight hours at a Cub Scout Jamboree trying to keep track of a Ford Econoline van full boys and would agree to anything if they would all just shut up and leave her alone. My mother. You hand two boys throwing knives, the pestering stops and they disappear to do things mothers wouldn’t approve of. As a parent sometimes the risk is worth the reward.

So far in fatherhood I have observed the circle has remained unbroken, so I wasn’t at all surprised when my son inquired about throwing stars a few weeks ago. Not only was I not surprised but I was a little excited about the whole matter. So on a recent business trip to Omaha I stopped into the army surplus store I always visit when I’m in Omaha to do some browsing and find my son his first throwing star.

What do throwing stars have to do with army surplus? There are certain things the government likes to keep hush hush.