And So It Begins

And so it begins.

Alison took our boy to school yesterday afternoon.  He was gussied up as purty as he could be.  It was time, whether we were ready or not.  It was time for Senior pictures.

But wait!  School was still almost four weeks away.  Were we ready for this?  Our little boy's last year of high school?  Of course, he's not so little anymore.  He's a couple inches taller than his Daddy now.  I'm not entirely sure when that happened, but it did.

Ready or not, here it comes.  He has an intense year of courses ahead of him, including courses that will gain him college credit.  He also has a year where he hopefully can fit in time with friends, and some of his favorites interests, including theatre, art, and role-playing games.

As the year goes on, I'm sure he'll become increasingly independent, driving and earning money for school.  And then there'll be prom and graduation.  And then there's college.  And we'll see less and less of our son, as he begins to blaze his own path in the world.

We are already plunging into the maze of college applications.  We have narrowed it to three schools, the closest one still almost two hours away.  We're going to try to get whatever scholarships we can, including Hope.  The diminishment of the Hope Scholarship over recent years has been one of the saddest facts of life in the state of Georgia.  It's one of the most significant things that really helped Georgia stand out as a special place to raise a family. 

In talking with financial aid people in college, it really is an intimidating Rube Goldberg style system.  You not only have to be a good parent, but you also have to be an expert negotiator of paperwork and bureaucracy.  You can do everything right, and still wind up with a mound of debt that may haunt you and your child for decades to come.  It's really stunning to me how many Americans put up with this complex system of paying for an increasingly expensive college system instead of advocating for something simpler and more affordable.  And by college, I include all post-secondary educational experiences, including technical colleges and apprentice programs.  Does everyone need to go to a university for advanced degrees? No, but in today's world, everyone needs to get an education beyond what is offered in high school.


Yes, financing school is not easy.  But things aren't going to change dramatically in the next few years, so we are going to plunge in, and do whatever it takes.

It's not easy being a parent knowing your last little birdie will soon fly out of the nest.  And it's not enough of a consolation to know that even though soon our son will not be with us full time, that we are gaining a hobby room.  Although come to think of it, I do have a few ideas.

It's not the end of our relationship with our son.  The bonds of love and caring are strong, and I'm sure will see him many times in the coming years.  We'll share his excitement with college achievements, his new career, and maybe further down the road, marriage, and grandchildren.  We'll be there to celebrate and to comfort. 

It's a new phase.  A little scary, but exciting too.

Our little boy is not so little anymore.  Let the Senior year begin!

Benjamin at the gates of the University of Georgia, one of the three colleges we're considering.