This past weekend, Bubba and I took BoyBoy to an open house at the school we hope to send him to next year. This is the same school where I went to middle and high school (back in the dark ages). It is a private, college prep school with a fantastic reputation and a challenging curriculum. It was weird for me to be back on those grounds. I realized that I hadn't set foot on that campus since the day I graduated. I haven't been back for homecoming or class reunions. My excuse has been that we have always lived too far away and I knew that someday, I would be back.
I hardly recognized the place. It has grown in leaps and bounds since I graduated. Where there used to be a small art room, there are now two huge art studios. The gym where all the basketball games were played was called "The New Gym" when I was there. Now it is the "Old Gym" and is swamped by the new gym complex. There is a state of the art culture center with a auditorium that seats over 500, a new library complex with over 10,000 titles and 50 computers, the list goes on and on. The percentage of graduating students who get into the college of their choice on the first try is 99% and the average amount of scholarships awarded to each graduating class is well over a million dollars. Bubba and I were impressed, to say the least.
But what I think I was most impressed with was BoyBoy's reaction. He seemed comfortable there. He seemed excited to get started with the rest of his education. He seemed ready for the challenges ahead and eager to move on with his learning. This is the kid who hates change, with a passion! There was a moment when I lagged back on the tour and watched him walk through the halls that I once haunted. He looked so big, so grown up, so capable, so independent. He's ready...I'm just not sure I am.