I have much to say and not enough time to say it in and you probably don't want to read that long of a post anyhow so I am going to break it up into a couple of posts.
Part #1.
733 miles round trip is what we finally drove. I averaged 14.8 miles to the gallon and maintained a blistering average speed of 45.9 MPH. That is over a course of three days on the highway, through the city and off in the back roads. I am wore plumb out.
In part two I will tell yall about the Amish village I was at and some of the things we got to see and learn but in this quick post I want to talk about the Blog Meet and the Girl.
Monday we took the tour of Texas A&M and learned some really good stuff about the university I never knew. They are big on symbolism and deep meanings on just about everything your see. For instance, Rutter tower is built 11 stories tall because that was the same height Doctor Rutter and his men had to climb during an invasion in WW11. Things like that are all over the campus dating all the way back to the 1800's. It is a real privilege that my daughter will now be part of that living history.
The girl stayed on campus in a dorm room for her first time while the wife and I stayed in luxury at the Hilton. I could never afford the room we we in but with the new Aggie parent discount, they made it as affordable as a motel 6 so we did it.
As we went our own ways Monday night I guess it kinda hit me that the girl will be living here and not with me for the first time in her life and it was at that moment I think I made a huge mistake.
I have prepped her her whole life for this moment but never took the time to prep myself. I don't know how I am going to just drive away next month and let her start her life without me there. I don't know how to deal with this at all. Parents do this all the time so why is this so hard?
We all want our kids to do better than we did and I know in the end this will be the best thing she could ever do. Not that my life has been bad but I do not want her to hang around this one horse town and marry some dirt farming redneck like her momma did. We have had way to many struggles in life and this girl is way to smart not to make a big name for herself.
In the end if she is happy by doing what her momma did, then I will be happy for her but in the meantime, she needs to do this herself and know she is somebody without having somebody to take care of and then always wonder what could have been. I just wished it could be closer.
Tuesday night after some site seeing, the wife and I met up with HossBoss from womanrunswithhorses and her hubby Yeoldfurt. She says it was a blog meet and I guess she is right.
After reading about a persons life for over a year now I already new them and though of them as friends. I just have never met them. I probably over thought this meeting way to much but I was kinda nervous because I did not know if I needed to live up to the Redneck image or try and sound more educated and proper.
All my worries went out the window in the first 30 seconds when the two women teamed up and started to harass us two men folk.
I knew I was in good company when I was made fun of using a knife and fork, together at the same time so I finally gave into formalities and just used my fingers. Over the next three hours the blogs only came up a few times and most of the conversations were focused on getting to know one another on the stuff not blogged about. She puts it in better words than I do so you will have to read hers to get a better understanding of the blog meet.
We had them as internet friends but now they are good friends with a life long connection. We plan to make several more trips down there over the next few years and plan to meet up again.
Is that crazy or what? I guess the people who read our blogs in this little circle we all have are a lot closer than we think. Like it or not, you people are stuck with me and I hope one day I get to meet you all.
I want to be there next time!
ReplyDeleteIt was an honor and a privilege to have met you and your wife. I hope we can get together often.
ReplyDeleteYeOldFurt
Shucks, now I feel all lonely and stuff....but Bubba, I know how you feel about leaving your little girl behind. It rips the heart strings.
ReplyDeleteI remember when I left for college. My mom and I had gone down and set up my dorm room about 1 to 2 weeks ahead of time. Finally the day came for me to drive out on my own. My car loaded down we stood in the driveway saying our goodbyes. I held it together pretty well until my dad hugged me. In his attempt not to cry he said to me, "And for Christ sakes learn something while you are down there." I lost it and proceeded to cry for the next 100 miles.
ReplyDeleteWhen our first son went off to college we did the same for him. We bought him lots of stuff to take with him for his dorm room so he would know we are not far away and that we love him. As parents you just do what you can do.
We now live 2 hours away from our children. As a matter of fact you live closer to them than we do. They are all adults now and I can tell you it never gets easy. When we come to town we party it up though at our daughter's house. There is no one else we would rather hang out with other than our children. We just have to much stinking fun.
Congrads. you and her have taken your first step! It don't get any eaiser, you just learn to adjust. I and two daughters have gone through it and they are now both living close and have their own familys. I now have grandchildren and it is great. I just have one more daughter to go and it is going to be just as hard as the first one, maybe more cause she is the baby. You keep hangin in there now ya hear!
ReplyDeleteTexas Tigerman.
Thank all yall for the comments.
ReplyDeleteYou will be there BlueEyedBaby
YeOldFurt - The feeling is mutual and can't wait to continue our conversation.
Stephen - It does more than rips at them for me, It tugs them right out.
Genevieve - That is really good you get to spend time with them. I hope mine don't move off to far so I can do the same.
Tigerman - I wished you didn't say it doesn't get any easier.
It's natural to feel that way when a kid leaves home. Mine went to Canada to go to school and were up there for two years! I really missed them. Their mom flew up to visit with them several times but I couldn't leave the place.
ReplyDeleteI've arranged to meet people I met on line, usually somewhere between their place and mine to make it easier on both parties. You meet some great people that way.
ATH- I am on the fence if I want her to grive down there or not. There are 42000 kids in the school and I know that there is not 42000 cars in the parking areas. I want to drop her off with a bike and go get her whenever she needs me too. That way I do not have the worry of her driving the four hours and through Fort Worth traffic.
ReplyDelete