I think your point makes sense. I also think you made it better than the author. He does appear to equate this person's actions with his own as a college studen

I think your point makes sense. I also think you made it better than the author. He does appear to equate this person's actions with his own as a college student or younger in the backyard. I suspect the mindset and motivations though between the two are vastly different. So personalizing it in this way just makes for a confusing side story.