The Right Stuff

Today, was my oldest (of seven) grandson’s birthday. Joe was 18 today.

I guess that momentous age graduates him from being called Joseph to Joe. However, he is Joseph IV, so I guess I’ll have to figure a name to differentiate him from his father. I’ll still call him Joe when we are speaking directly. As a man he deserves that.

I don’t know how this day arrived so quickly. My life is a series of snapshots and videos, all taken yesterday, or so it seems. That’s one reason I try to live in the moment. Too much history to remind me how far along life’s road I’ve traveled.

I had gathered from Joe’s Facebook wall postings that he was interviewing with Harvard, so I sent him a video congratulating him on that. It seemed from the postings that the interview was today, so I congratulated him on that. In speaking with his mother later in the day, it turned out the interview was weeks ago. Oops.

Of course that is the exact same circumstance where rumors start. A person hears some misinformation and passes it on, either accurately or in their own expanded version. in this case, my son Christopher ‘Skyped’ me and I told him. Chris didn’t know either the wrong information I passed to him (the interview was today) or that Joe was interviewing with Harvard at all. My excuse is that I live 800 miles away from Joe’s family. Chris lives 5 miles away.

Be that as it may, Joe has already received a full scholarship offer from Hofstra, a Long Island Tier 3 school and my alma mater, but he is aiming for Harvard, a Tier 1 school. Good for him.

Of course, his mother would prefer he attend school locally, but at his age, children start to cast off their family ties and seek independent adventures.

Well Joe, Happy Birthday, good luck and great adventures to you.