Experience Camps
Me: I dunno, it’s a little early.
Him: (sighing) Ok, papa.
Me: (thinking) You know what, let’s just go. I don’t wanna be the reason we miss the bus.
Him: YAY!
The kid went off to camp today.
The same really wonderful camp he went to last year, Experience Camps.
Neither of us got any sleep last night: He, because he was too excited and I, because…well, I’m me and still an insomniac (although much better these days).
Even though we didn’t have to be there until 10:15 at the latest, we took off super early.
It was raining when we arrived – an empty parking lot in the middle of nowhere Brooklyn.
There was literally no one else around, so we just sat around for around 40 minutes until someone actually showed up.
Camp Counselor: So, what’s your…wait, you’re the guitar kid!
My son: (laughing) Yeah!
He was one of the first kids on the bus. He couldn’t wait to go.
I saw my own bus off in the distance and ran for it; it was gonna be a solid 15 minutes before the next one.
Heading home, I thought about something someone said once:
My son’s at an age where he still gets from the world, without expectation of giving anything return.
Soon, it will start to demand from him. And then Life will both demand and take.
And then my son, the child, will be gone forever, and he’ll be not-yet-a-man, and then a man.
None of which I’m prepared for.
Don’t think I’m ever prepared for the goodbyes.
Suppose no one ever is.
Him: I’ll be back soon, papa.
Me: I know. I’ll still miss you.
Location: in front of my non-functioning PC, realizing I’m gonna have to take it apart to get to a tiny battery
Mood: grumble
Music: I’m not losing you (Spotify)
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