“Out and About with Nathan S. of South Windham, Connecticut,” Friend, Mar. 2011, 18–19
Out and About with Nathan S. of South Windham, Connecticut
The TV at eight-year-old Nathan S.’s house doesn’t get any channels. His family doesn’t have any video games either. But that’s OK. Nate’s too busy to be bored! Here’s why:
Nate Collects
U.S. coins—His grandpa got him started collecting. Now Nate has all 50 state quarters and a penny collection that goes back to 1941.
Litter—On the Church’s day of service, Nate collected five bags full of trash—and two hubcaps. His dream career? To be a recycling scientist.
Jokes—“Why did the farmer call his pig Ink? Because he kept running out of the pen.” That one cracked everyone up when Nate told jokes at the ward talent show.
Nate Gets Out and About
Exploring—Nate’s house is more than 100 years old. He’s seen wild turkeys, rabbits, snakes, and even a llama out back.
Playing—Nate and his friend Victor made up a fun superhero game, which they play in the car on their 45-minute ride to Cub Scouts.
Around town—Nate knows why a bridge nearby has giant metal frogs on its posts. In 1754, people thought enemy soldiers were attacking in the middle of the night. The next morning, they realized it was just the loud screeches of frogs!
Nate Learns
Road trips—“I’m a city mouse,” says Nate. He loves riding subways, seeing Times Square, and eating pretzels in New York City.
Books—Anything about science or nature fascinates Nate. His mom is a librarian, so he gets to go to “Mom’s library” for story time and other special programs.
Scouts—He’s just one paw short of earning his Wolf.
Nate Likes Family, Friends, and Church
Siblings—A space inside a row of lilac bushes is a perfect playhouse for Nate; his brother, Evan; and his sister Annalynn. He’s always happy to hold his baby sister, Jenika.
Helping—Thursday is his day to take the trash outside. He also unloads the dishwasher and gets his brother’s and sisters’ pajamas out each night.
Being a missionary—Nate invites his teachers from school to special events at church, such as his baptism. When he was offered iced tea at a friend’s house, he asked for water. After all, Nate says, “What do we go to church for?”
Nate’s Favorite Things
Color: Red
Primary song: “Called to Serve”
Scripture story: Jonah and the whale
Food: Macaroni and cheese
Animals: Horses and fish
Sports: Running, biking, baseball
Photographs by Elizabeth Pinborough; illustrations by Brad Teare