Just Getting Started
There's a young man out there who is working as a safety consultant for a fairly big construction company in Erie, Pa.
He's just getting started on everything.
His marriage is young.
He is still learning on the job, but he is also very quick on his feet and has a good rapport with the workers.
His wife is 7 months pregnant with their first child.
I had lunch with the guy on Tuesday afternoon and I spent a bit of that lunch explaining his future to him.
"You won't sleep for shit for about the first 6 months," I said.
"I know. I've heard that," he answered. "But it's awesome, right?"
I laughed.
"Sure it's awesome. It's bigger than anything you can even imagine. You'll sleepwalk through the first year of your baby's life and just when you get back in step your wife will start talking about another one, and then one after that."
"Not sure we'll have three," he said.
"You have no say in the matter," I answered.
But the kid is sharp.
Here's how you can tell:
"And in a blink of an eye I'll be limping around, digging through the ashtray in my car for coins because all the kids have the money down at some college somewhere, and I'll be wondering how it went so fast."
And that's the absolute truth.
As I mentioned, this little lunch discussion went on in Erie, Pa. where I attended Gannon University for four incredible years back in the 1980's - before the kid was even on the planet.
I drove through the campus.
I passed Wherle Hall where I lived with Gag and Palmer and Miller. I drove around the backside where we once threw a half-keg out a window because the RA was on our heels.
I passed the TKE House which is no longer there. The college bought the place and turned it into one of their own buildings. I thought about that basement where I drank a half a million beers for a total of about $26.
I drove past my friend Lisa's apartment. It looks the exact same. The name has been changed, but I looked at the walk to the front door. My mind jumped way back in time. I looked to their window where Lisa and Lorraine offered a safe haven to me and Fluff and George.
Why they ever opened the door to the drunken three of us remains a true mystery.
I passed the broken down home where we spent our senior year.
The Myrtle Street apartment seemed smaller somehow. The front window wasn't broken. We broke it about 30 times when we lived there because the room was too small for the pool table and we kept running the sticks through the glass.
Too fast.
I thought of the young guy and his new marriage and his new baby.
I certainly didn't envy him.
He's got way too much work ahead of him!
I just thought about the fun.
Life goes fast, kid.
Hold on and enjoy the ride.
He's just getting started on everything.
His marriage is young.
He is still learning on the job, but he is also very quick on his feet and has a good rapport with the workers.
His wife is 7 months pregnant with their first child.
I had lunch with the guy on Tuesday afternoon and I spent a bit of that lunch explaining his future to him.
"You won't sleep for shit for about the first 6 months," I said.
"I know. I've heard that," he answered. "But it's awesome, right?"
I laughed.
"Sure it's awesome. It's bigger than anything you can even imagine. You'll sleepwalk through the first year of your baby's life and just when you get back in step your wife will start talking about another one, and then one after that."
"Not sure we'll have three," he said.
"You have no say in the matter," I answered.
But the kid is sharp.
Here's how you can tell:
"And in a blink of an eye I'll be limping around, digging through the ashtray in my car for coins because all the kids have the money down at some college somewhere, and I'll be wondering how it went so fast."
And that's the absolute truth.
As I mentioned, this little lunch discussion went on in Erie, Pa. where I attended Gannon University for four incredible years back in the 1980's - before the kid was even on the planet.
I drove through the campus.
I passed Wherle Hall where I lived with Gag and Palmer and Miller. I drove around the backside where we once threw a half-keg out a window because the RA was on our heels.
I passed the TKE House which is no longer there. The college bought the place and turned it into one of their own buildings. I thought about that basement where I drank a half a million beers for a total of about $26.
I drove past my friend Lisa's apartment. It looks the exact same. The name has been changed, but I looked at the walk to the front door. My mind jumped way back in time. I looked to their window where Lisa and Lorraine offered a safe haven to me and Fluff and George.
Why they ever opened the door to the drunken three of us remains a true mystery.
I passed the broken down home where we spent our senior year.
The Myrtle Street apartment seemed smaller somehow. The front window wasn't broken. We broke it about 30 times when we lived there because the room was too small for the pool table and we kept running the sticks through the glass.
Too fast.
I thought of the young guy and his new marriage and his new baby.
I certainly didn't envy him.
He's got way too much work ahead of him!
I just thought about the fun.
Life goes fast, kid.
Hold on and enjoy the ride.
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