Thank you for mentioning the machete, 230RN. It made me recall a belt knife one of my uncles bought for me when I was in my mid teens and was interested in hiking and camping. And that got me to wondering if I still had it. And I did!
Hotcha. I'd forgotten all about it until you mentioned the machetes. No sheath now though. I think it disintegrated decades ago, but the knife survives. I'm proud of myself because it's still in good condition, no rust at all, and still with a keen edge. I see that over those years long ago I had sharpened it often.
I remember those WW II surplus machetes too, with stacks of them piled up for sale at Army/Navy stores. I don't remember if I owned one but I do remember that at least someone among my friends did. We used it to clear a place for our blankets when we went for overnight hikes. None of us had the concept of putting a ground cloth under the blankets though. Truth be told, we must not have been too bright.
You're right about parents too, Old Fuff. Ours--not only mine but also those of every kid I knew--had a keen sense of reality. Their mantra was that it was their
duty as parents to help us learn as quickly as possible to survive as independent adults. That was their job: to help us not to need them, and as soon as possible.
You mentioned teachers. All of the teachers I remember, even those whose names I forget, seemed to think the same way and have the same goal. All of the adults in my life were united in helping us to become responsible adults. I don't think they could have grasped the Man-Child concept. I have trouble with it too. This discussion made me recall something my son said when he was a little kid of about six years old. From out of the blue while we were at a restaurant on a trip he said, "The kid in the next booth is a whiner, Dad. He wants bad attention." I caught what he meant. Perhaps I inherited that trait from him.