Dr. Cranky Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 (edited) I had a tough time two years ago when my oldest daughter started in college, and I got very depressed, but now that my youngest is starting school (just this weekend we are dropping her off) I feel like things are going to turn out all right. She's going to a very good school, but it really is stuff to now live in the house without those little voices, the patter of little feet, etc . . . I just wonder how many of us middle aged folks are going through these types of moments (and emotions). Sometimes I feel like I can't get used to it. It's a big moment in my life because now it's a constant reminder that I've gotten old (getting older) and you know that's always not as much fun. I don't mind the clock ticking as long as it isn't ticking for me. LOL. Thank heavens for building models for it allows me to focus the mind on building something and deriving lts of pleasure out of it. Thanks for lending me your ears. Edited August 11, 2012 by Dr. Cranky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest G Holding Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 Doc...youre getting old. My middle daughter is now a BSRN..and just 4 years ago I was driving her around. She drove us to lunch yesterday...Of course I paid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercman Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 (edited) Yeah Doc I can relate. Of the two I know of,( been driving truck for 35+ years) LOL, the oldest got married last summer. The younger one is on her own now, and doing fine. Just me and Mama in the house. Kind of funny, a few years back we got a new trailer for the lake place. When we had the kids it was a 16 footer, than a 21 ft., and then a 27 ft. Now we have a 40 foot paradise, and it's just the two of us. The thing is like a second house. Edited August 11, 2012 by Mercman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rel14 Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 We have 7 kids, all grow up and gone, and next month will be 16 grandkids, and what bothers me the most, is i don't know were all that time went,, Feel like i missed 20-30 yrs there some how.. Its like the older i get, the fast time goes by... So, enjoy each and every second you can, the grandkids get older and forget who you are. The kids stop calling cause they have there own life. And i sit here building models, and talking to my Dogs,, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemodeler Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 Great topic Doc! Next Saturday my oldest child goes off to college and the wife is starting to get emotional about it. Me? I think it will do him a world of good to get out on his own and learn new experiences. He and I will fly from Charlotte to Boston and then drive 3 hours to central Vermont where he will attend college. He will be in a military ROTC program so he has his days pretty much planned out and they won't allow him much free time, which should translate into good grades and less time to get homesick. Mom is worried about her baby being 950 miles from home, Dad is excited because it will less arguing between my son and his 15 year old sister! Will it be weird to not see him and hear him? Yes, but we will be able to Skype and send email so I doubt it will be that bad, at least not as it was 30 years when I was his age! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent G Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 Last one is headed to college as we speak. My "moment" came when my oldest enlisted in the Navy, and became a corpsman just in time for ODS. He deployed with the Marines, which made me happy proud, and terrified all at the same time. First grandchild was a defining moment as well. I have them so spread out, 4 wives now, I have a daughter and granddaughter the same age. G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Johnston Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 Next year for me. I'm not sure how I'll do. Though some days my wife and i are ready now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 My "kids" are 28, 25 and 23. I've already gotten used to them being all grown up and living on their own. In fact, it's a lot calmer around the house these days! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinfan5 Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 As of yesterday, I have 17 years to go before mine leaves the house Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 My one and only daughter will be doing her last year of law school in San Diego. Don't get to see her as much as I would like but I sure do enjoy the time we spend together when she comes home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted August 11, 2012 Author Share Posted August 11, 2012 Wow, great response. As you all know, it's not the best of feelings to return to an empty house, and I am more than thankful to have my lovely wife to accompany me during these next few lonely weeks. I can't even walk into the kids' room without choking up. The good news is that now more than ever I know where my place is in the house: AT THE WORKBENCH IN THE GARAGE. Lab-RAT-ory HERE I COME WITH A VENGEANCE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curt raitz Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 (edited) I have two daughters in college, the oldest is starting her last year at San Francisco State and the youngest is starting her second year at Fresno State. Makes a dad proud... Edited August 11, 2012 by curt raitz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted August 11, 2012 Author Share Posted August 11, 2012 Those are two excellent schools. Congratulations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent G Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 Virgil I was a single dad for so long, it really hit me when the middle son left. The "and then there was one" syndrom took over and the baby and I spent a lot of quality time together. She's leaving but I have a great wife to share life with now. Time to travel, build, and share my life with someone else now. G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted August 11, 2012 Author Share Posted August 11, 2012 Wayne, I think that's the right attitude. Besides, they are in the world now, hopefully doing all the good work you taught them how to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tubbs Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 i have one that finished his first year @ Kent state for Architechure and one just starting 5th grade....... im 52, thats why you never see me post in the "what did you get latly" section... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent G Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 Oldest became a Firefighter/Paramedic after the Navy. Left that and is a cop now. He wears my Patrolman's badge. Middle son has a BS in Psychology and is working his way through nursing school by producing hip hop promo videos. Check out Rotting Peach productions. His next goal is a Masters as a Nurse Practitioner. Baby girl just left for nursing school. She's at Maryville University outside St Louis. Stepson #1 is a Casino Security Manager, #2 is a Grocery store manager. Good taxpayers all! G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted August 12, 2012 Author Share Posted August 12, 2012 It sounds like they can fend for themselves pretty well. My big fear is that this new generation (they call them boomerangs) might have a heck of a time landing good paying jobs. Forget good paying job, try jobs. Just jobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinfan5 Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 (edited) Oldest became a Firefighter/Paramedic after the Navy. Left that and is a cop now. He wears my Patrolman's badge. Middle son has a BS in Psychology and is working his way through nursing school by producing hip hop promo videos. Check out Rotting Peach productions. His next goal is a Masters as a Nurse Practitioner. Baby girl just left for nursing school. She's at Maryville University outside St Louis. Stepson #1 is a Casino Security Manager, #2 is a Grocery store manager. Good taxpayers all! G Now that sounds like a proud papa right there, I think you did a good job raising them Edited August 12, 2012 by martinfan5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie8575 Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 It sounds like they can fend for themselves pretty well. My big fear is that this new generation (they call them boomerangs) might have a heck of a time landing good paying jobs. Forget good paying job, try jobs. Just jobs. Speaking as a "boomerang" myself, at 37, I can attest that it's not fun out there and it's not getting much better, regardless of what the talking heads say. Part of my return (really, about 60% of it,) was economics as 2009 pretty much killed my employment, and the other part was a combination of moving home to help my parents transition officially into senior citizens, as they were having a lot of health and home management problems, and my being 80 miles away in an economically-depressed area (even in good times) wasn't helping them any. I suspect that a lot of people my generation will be facing the same thing soon, especially those like me who have no siblings or anyone else to rely on. I ended up going back to school to re-train and take a year off during the worst of the recession when there was very little point in even looking for work, and a lot of the kids I spoke with at school shared a lot of these concerns, as do the professors, career services director, and even many of the employers who would like to hire, but won't due to continuing economic uncertainty. I will simply advise the following, speaking from life experience and almost a decade of teaching high school. 1. Try not to amass a lot of student debt. Start at a quality community or private junior college or use the CLEP tests to save on tuition charges. 2. Apply for every grant, scholarship, work-study and whatever else you can find for both pocket money, book money, tuition, etc. 3. Don't forget to have fun. The ages of 18-25 are really the best years of your life. I spent too much time being serious and lost out on a lot of the fun in things, which now, as someone in my later 30s, is no longer appropriate to do. 4. Get a well-rounded education, not just in school, but be a student of life. 5. Make sure you have a usable education, with a little extra for skill diversity and maximum employment. 6. Don't give up. 7. I've noticed that many of today's younger people focus so much on one area or another in their formal education that they don't bother to use the opportunities offered them to broaden their horizons and expand their knowledge. This is not a positive trend. 8. Not sure what you want to do yet? Don't feel bad, you'll probably change careers at least two or three times anyway. 9. Be yourself, and don't let the media, your friends, pundits, politicians, or anyone else tell you who to be or what you are. Charlie Larkin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cranky Posted August 12, 2012 Author Share Posted August 12, 2012 Excellent, wise words, Charlie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaydar Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 (edited) I have two in college. My daughter is going back for her 2nd year (Loyola Chicago) and my son for his 5th (DePaul) He changed majors and schools and sat out a semester in the ptocess. I love to have them home for weekends and the summer and i love to see them go back. They are growing up and it is part of the process they/we have to go through; like it or not. They have become real city kids. The boomerang thing is all together different. I am not sure how to handle that. I want to sell the house and downsize for retirement and my wife says we still need the house in case they come back! I guess that decision is a bit easier now that the house is down about 25%! Edited August 12, 2012 by jaydar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
route66modeler Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 (edited) yup, taking my daughter off to college this friday. I guess I won't really feel it until we head back home(3.5 hour drive). I feel going away to college is one of the best ways for our children to grow into adults. You spend 18 years laying the ground work for them to make good choices. They will make mistakes and learn from them. Edited August 12, 2012 by route66modeler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rel14 Posted August 12, 2012 Share Posted August 12, 2012 My Worst moments,,,my youngest 31. been in the army 13 yrs,,been in war twice,,and Three (3) times i got letters from his commander saying he's in Germany, and he will be OK,, Thank God he was,, And now there going to send him again,,, Good Lord give me a Break.. Pray for our Troops.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie8575 Posted August 13, 2012 Share Posted August 13, 2012 My friend Rob, really the brother I never had, sent me a link to this article on the subject of college. http://blogmaverick.com/2012/05/13/the-coming-meltdown-in-college-education-why-the-economy-wont-get-better-any-time-soon/ I really think we've oversold college myself; we need to return to apprenticeships, business colleges, and similar training opportunities. Community and technical colleges provide those things. If you're not sure if your kids are really ready for college/university, encourage them to do a semester at a local junior school, or perhaps start out with a certificate in something like management, web design, or any one of a number of other things. It'll avoid the huge debts, the uncertainty, and still meets the needs of some type of post-high-school education and give them an opportunity to start out. Many unions and local businesses will also take high school grads on to train them. We need to remember to teach our young that part of being a responsible adult is making responsible, intelligent decisions, and that because all your friends are doing something doesn't mean it's a good idea for you. Charlie Larkin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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