So today I dropped off my oldest son at Purdue University. It was a strange and emotional experience. As I was helping him move his things into his room, I was remembering my parents doing the same thing. I could see the excitement in his eyes, eager to go off on his own, have some fun, become an independent adult. All the while, my wife and I, while excited for him and proud, are a little sad to see him go. When my son was born, I (being a traditional kind of guy) handed out cigars to everyone. But I kept two. I saved these all these years with the intention of smoking them with him when he was old enough. So last night, he and I shared cigars and beer and had a nice father-son talk, that being his last night living at home. So, while we were unpacking and helping him arrange his room, a guy from down the hall comes into the room and introduces himself. He just gives his first name and says he was born in Bloomington (the same town my son was born in). I probably would have pursued that a bit more, but a third guy then came in and it turned out he was also born in Bloomington (wierd). So, after getting things squared away in his room we took him out for lunch at his favorite restaurant (White Castle). While driving, we started wondering about the guy who popped into the room who said he was born in Bloomington. His first name was the same as a kid the same age as my son we knew when I was a student at IU. So when my son went back to the dorm, he checked the guys name on his door and it turns out he's the same guy that was pretty much my son's best friend 14 years ago. A kid we haven't seen since then. Now, somehow, he ends up at the same collage, at the same dorm, on the same floor! Fucking weird shit.
where does the 'mortality' part come in? Anyway, yes, it's a small world. Your story is very heart warming though.
Yeah nice story, and strange coincidence. I probably would be a teary eyed fool if that day should come and I am in that situation. I got teary eyed when my son graduated kindergarten and got his little diploma...lol Anyway what is your son taking?
Yeah, I noticed that as soon as I posted the thread. Sadly, you can't edit thread titles (for some reason). Engineering. He's thinking electrical or chemical right now, but he's not sure. Yes, I guess I didn't really address that, although I was thinking about it when I wrote the thread title. I just meant that, seeing my son move on the the next stage of his life reminds me of the fact that I'm moving on as well. I'm no longer the young kid moving into the dorm, I'm the middle aged Optometrist. I remember my parents as they were when I went to college (see, I got it right that time!). Now they're old, retired. Dealing with a myriad of health problems as pretty much all those in their 60's or older do. My son going thru this new rite of passage simply reminds me that we are all moving inexorably thru the various stages of life. Youth, adulthood, middle age, then........that's where mortality comes in.
