Book Review Reviewed
by P. Randall Wright
Overcoming Adolescence: Growing Beyond Childhood into Maturity
by Marion D. Aldridge
A confessor stood in the sanctuary during the annual revival meeting enumerating his sins. As he confessed, members of the congregation responded, “Tell it, brother…tell it all!” The sins got a little more interesting. “Tell it all, brother! Tell it all!” Encouraged to tell it all, the repentant believer told a particularly vile and offensive sin. Further encouragement stopped when one congregant said, “Don’t believe I’d have told that, brother!”
As I read Marion Aldridge’s confessional of his struggle from childhood to maturity, I wanted at times to say, “Don’t believe I’d have told that, Brother!”
But he did. Marion shares honestly and earthily from his own struggles as he moved from adolescent behavior to adult awareness in his most helpful book. Don’t read this book if you are shy or reticent about telling it all to a significant other, a counselor, a trusted friend, or the Holy One. There are places in Overcoming Adolescence when you will want to close the book and rush to find your loved one and confess your failure, your dishonesty, your ambivalence, or your need. Confession is risky, but it will move you toward the maturity Marion argues.
In his chapter “Out of Control,” Marion confesses his addiction to words—his need to be the center of attention by his articulate rendering of the current issue, the “hot” topic, the performance of the Clemson football player, or the culinary delights created by his favorite pastry chef. As his dear friend and one of the “Four Life Guides” to whom he dedicated his book, I readily acknowledge his need to be heard, and I equally acknowledge the value of deferring to his preachments, because they are consistently filled with wisdom, humor, and love. Deferring to another’s addiction might not be the most therapeutic response, but I have deferred to and learned much from my friend, Marion.
In the matter of his wordsmithing in Overcoming Adolescence, I’m being co-dependent by encouraging his verbosity. I feed into his addiction to words when I say, “Preach on, brother!” Marion has positively channeled his addiction into a volume that will confront, encourage, challenge, motivate, anger, clarify, inspire, and push readers toward maturity.
Let me also be honest to say that, at times, I felt as if I were sitting in on counseling sessions as Marion worked out his own stuff. Some pages remind me that Marion is a Baptist preacher, and it has been said that preachers sometimes have something to say, but other times they have to say something. However, even when I felt that Marion was having to say something to complete a thought or finish a chapter, he did, in fact, say something.
So, when you read his book, don’t read it too quickly, because you might get bogged down in his depth and wisdom. Take your time. Read a certain chapter again. Dog-ear pages, and come back to them when you’re ready to hear afresh the confrontation or wisdom contained in them. That’s what I intend to do…when I muster the courage!
So, Marion, this is one of your four life guides speaking… “Tell it all, Brother!” “Ouch…don’t believe I’d have told that!” “Dang, Marion, you done good with this book!”
