A Dude's Guide. . . to everything

Repetition: The Soul Of Equanimity

by Richard

So, last week, before I shipped Zippy the Monkey Boy out of the country to let some other economic production unit take him on for a little while, we both traveled to Wilmington for his college orientation where I learned something shocking: I can’t wait to see him go.

I mean, when I did the same thing with Sarcasmo last year up at High Point University, I constantly found myself on the verge of letting loose a manly single tear, trailing a clean track down the dirt-and-oil-smudged skin of my cheek. Or something similar.

I kept focused on the fact that this was another step in his inexorable walk away from the home, that time had passed far, far too fast when I wasn’t looking and that I was on the verge of losing my oldest young dude. My thoughts were dark and depressed, in vivid contrast to the wonderfully bright and sunny weather.

In the gloom and rain on the University of North Carolina Wilmington campus, as water dripped off my hat and rivulets crawled down my pant legs and into my shoes, I had only one thought: My, what a lovely campus. I wonder what I’ll have for dinner?

Don’t get me wrong, I know I’ll miss the loud screams and shouts and thumps that accompany Zippy the Monkey Boy wherever he goes. I will miss him, there’s no question about that.

But it’s not going to be bad. Drop off at his dorm in August is going to be accompanied by a feeling of relief that he made it this far, hope that he will make it through college and into the life he can’t even conceive right now. My only concern is going to be whether I will offset the cost of his meal plan in college with what I save from having to fill up his feeding trough here at home.

Despite the hollow feeling that sometimes accompanies it, having a young dude leave the house to begin his own life away is a good thing. For him and for us as parents. Not everything is a fun thing.

This time around, I’m going to be focused on remembering that not all change is bad, that face timing and texting both work pretty well and that’s one less picky appetite I’m going to have to try and satisfy. Yep. One down and only three more to go.

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