Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Passing for Normal

Yesterday we traveled to New Haven, CT to visit Yale, and then on to Wesleyan with son #1. Son #1 suffers from acute middle child syndrome (AMCS), which means we suffer, too. Our son is a classic underachiever who has a great deal of athletic talent. We visited these colleges because coaches had sent him letters lauding his running ability. Yesterday he realized that running into a top college would be nearly impossible given his academic resume. It was not a pleasant day.

That said, it was nice to walk around New Haven and soak in the classic college atmosphere. After sitting through an information session (back of the room, corner), and walking around campus, we met with the cross country/track coach. Mark would be a good candidate for the team, and I have no doubt he could graduate from Yale if he were accepted. It's just doubtful they would consider him given the fact that his grades are mediocre. This put Mark in a sour mood, which poisoned my day.

Still, it was nice to pretend to be a normal person, dragging my 17-year-old slug on the obligatory campus tour. No one knew my secret, unless they noticed how often I used hand sanitizer. I was just an average parent wondering how this whole college thing will play out. Just ordinary parental angst amidst old stone and budding trees. Life goes on.

1 comment:

Jim said...

PJ,

I absolutely love your blog. It's humorous and real. My wife had a BMT in October after being diagnosed with AML last summer. She reads The Plog often. I chronicle about our experience, whenever you have a few, at Run for Dori: http://runfordori.blogspot.com/.

You're a strong chick and keep bashing Wal-Mart. Continued success to you and prayers your way.

Jim B.
Nashville, TN