Spenser Was My First Fictional Hero

And I idolized him for the wrong reasons.

My father introduced me to author Robert B Parker and his character Spenser, who was a former cop turned private eye solving cases in Boston.

Spenser was strong and solitary, pure of heart, and overly committed sometimes to doing what's right. What a role model, for the boy I was at the time.

How cool are these 2 guys? Robert Urich as Spenser and Avery Brooks (pre Star Trek) as Hawk

Except, I missed the parts that in hindsight made him a model for me as a man:

➡️He had friendships with many men in his life. Cops, leg breakers, gangsters, lawyers, and newspaper writers. He was never alone when he needed help.

➡️He had a long term relationship with a woman who was a well developed person in her own right. It was an imperfect union, but any disharmony was followed by repair and it made them stronger.

➡️He had hobbies that gave him a sense of accomplishment and self sufficiency, like woodworking and cooking.

➡️He took responsibility for the raising of a boy who wasn't his own and maintained an adult relationship with him.

➡️He cared about and was part of the community that he lived in. Boston is as much a character in these books as his best friend Hawk.

So, it's time to re-read the series through a more informed lens and to see if I can love it even more.