My elder son is a Senior in High School and will graduate in June. I have to admit, i'm a bit uneasy with the impending change looming on the horizon. In many ways, he's ready. Though, i can't help but worry about the choices he'll make in the early years after leaving the nest. He's a great kid and has chosen an honorable profession. One in which i think his demeanor and athleticism will serve him well; he'll be a Fireman. I guess it's still allowable to call them Firemen and not some super politically correct euphemism like, an onsite extrication, recovery, and incendiary containment specialist..
I believe, my shenanigans aside, i like Fireman the best!
Easy ladies, but here is a picture of the budding super hero.....
Growing up, as many of us know (though i don't really fit the description), is a perplexing time filled with wonder. As in, I wonder what i'll be when i grow up. Which has been the biggest challenge of my life to date.I once asked my Grandfather, "Papa, how do you know what you'll be when you grow up?" To which he replied, "Many years from now you'll be cleaning out your desk for the last time and taking stuff home you've never taken before. At that moment, you'll look back and know what you were when you grew up."
You know, that was about all of the "what do you want to be when you grow up?" advice i ever remember getting. In the context of today, it's really not bad advice considering all of the people who work several jobs during their lifetime. For me, it wasn't that i didn't know what i wanted to be, rather it was that i wanted to be too many things; many of which were completely ridiculous. Now, i'm not talking about the run of the mill ridiculous like deciding at twenty to be a Rock Star or a "C" student who is weak in math that wants to be an Astronaut. (Guilty) What i'm talking about is something like; I want to be an Oceanographer! and the only ocean i'd seen was on TV. I still love Jacques Cousteau! Also from a tender age i wanted to be a Writer/Photographer. You say "That doesn't sound ridiculous". Well, let me tell you, i might as well have had aspirations of being the King of England. (More on that in a future post if i think about it.)
The point here is that when i was growing up we never talked about what we wanted to be when we grew up. I don't know if that led me to where i'm at today or if it were simply the choices i've made or a combination of the two. Be that as it may, I did talk to the boys about it. I asked them often and no matter how ridiculous their responses, at the time. I never beat them up about their choices. What i did do was to ask them how they applied to other jobs in the field. I always left them with a question. For instance: let's say they wanted to fry an egg. I'd ask them if frying an egg was all they wanted to do with it. I'd ask them if they'd like to make an omelette or possibly learn to make custard. The lesson here is about flexibility and being able to roll with the punches that life throws at us without becoming bitter and cynical.
In the short go, it has led to both of my guys knowing where they want to be ten years after graduation. Now, those of us with enough ground under our boots know that life has a way of steering you, but in the meantime they are both on a good course.
So, to tidy up the end of this visit i'll say that my little super hero will be attending EMT classes this Fall or the Fire Academy. Since he'll only be eighteen, there is a chance he won't be selected for the Fire Academy this year. Until he is though he'll be satisfying the other requirements for the job he seeks. I am proud of him, but in our Viking home it only counts when you cross the finish line.
Until we speak again, Peace be with You, Dave
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