Goofus and Gallant

To be a kid feels so much more complex these days -- computers, advertising, bullying – it feels like they need to grow up so fast. So I find comfort when my daughter E finds pleasure in the simpler things, things from the past. Knock-knock jokes, jump rope, cat’s cradle and, most recently, Highlights Magazine.

I read Highlights when I was a kid. I loved going to the dentist purely for the Highlights. My absolute favorite part of Highlights was Goofus and Gallant, a side-by-side comparison of two boys. One boy, Gallant, always cares about the feelings of others, has perfect manners, and is ready to do the right thing. Goofus, on the other hand, is always doing the wrong thing. A bad seed, or as we may describe him today, a boy with an alternative learning style.

Goofus and Gallant are still part of Highlights, and have stayed remarkably the same as when I was a kid. They appear in better illustrations, but the idea is still the same. Gallant, his well-groomed hair and toothy smile does what’s right, always. Goofus, with his disheveled look, takes a different path.

For example, Goofus eats all the candy himself. Gallant offers a piece to each person before taking one for himself. Goofus leaves his toys scattered on the floor. Gallant always picks up his toys.

A new feature of Goofus and Gallant is to have kids write in and tell when they felt like Goofus and when they felt like Gallant. They say things like, “I felt like Gallant when I helped my Grandmother carry her bags.” Or “I felt like Goofus when I annoyed my family with my Transformers.”

I try to be Gallant. I care about the world around me and the feelings of others much more than it appears Goofus does. But to be honest, a large part of my day is spent in Goofus-like moments. I have my own list to send in to Highlights:

• I felt like Goofus when I had spinach stuck to my tooth for the whole afternoon.
• I felt like Goofus when I cut off another car to get the last parking spot at Trader Joe’s.
• I felt like Goofus when I accidentally asked a blind man for driving directions.
• I felt like Goofus when I didn’t offer an elderly woman my seat on the train (she did have dyed hair and lots of make up, so I thought it would be kind of an insult to her. Totally Goofus.)

Oh, on it goes. Thankfully, there are Gallants in the world to help us along.

I found this classic Goofus and Gallant to share. My favorite part is that Gallant plays quietly so that his mother can nap, while Goofus, well, Goofus cries out for attention.