he was a pretty average size for his age. he preferred his hair close to his head, and his mom close close to his side. he was always a member of the clean plate club on spaghetti night, but wouldn't dream of touching cooked peas. the best way to start out the day was to go to church with sister and mom. it was pretty boring, but it was a nice buffer between "home" and "school"
after-lunch gym was the best hour of the day, especially when scooters were brought out.
he loved singing, and wasn't quite sure if he wanted to play saxophone, trumpet, drums, or just not play anything.
extreme stress consisted of taking a multiplication test, and not passing spelling. being a "C" student wasn't an issue, as long as it was spaghetti night. he was happy.
a few years later, he could stand to lose a few pounds, and gain a few friends. he was shocked when someone made a boob joke the first day of 7th grade. what he would then describe as "trials and tribulations" followed, but he held his trumpet high and kept his nose in the books. he could work on his handwriting on mr. grant's 7 line spelling worksheets, and could decorate his locker to make it a home away from home. he found good friendships, but wouldn't appreciate them fully until his friends were....far away, working on their own lives.
he soon opened the door and stepped onto his college campus, ready to change.his.life. goodbye mom, goodbye dad! hello decisions!
he felt so free in the sunlight. ready for anything, always with an empty bank account but a full schedule. he was on his perfect island, surrounded by knowledge and self-reflection.
his love for friends grew. grew so beautifully. showed him how much you can rely on them, and how rich experiences with them can be.
so it was odd that he would accept a job across the country without hesitation. "college all over again" he would say in his head, hopeful.
but here he sits, still thinking of ways to define this period of life. to get through the darkness and cold of winter into spring. he could still stand to lose a few pounds and gain a few friends, and makes himself too much spaghetti. but he's not so sure about the rest.
because what he does in the next few years defines where he'll be in the next 80.
and he doesn't want to disappoint himself. or you.
so what should he do?
