What's that about Wisdom?

by Suzanne Warr

Let me tell you something funny.  In a little over a week, my oldest will be heading off to college.  Two weeks ago, we would have told you that we were on target for that change, and maybe ahead of the game.  Today, we're scrambling around pulling pieces together...and wondering if we'll get to it all.  How'd we slide so fast?  Well...let's just say I admire otters. ;)

Honestly, most of it's just the usual hangups you come across when working out something like this.  We'd planned to drop him from our car insurance 'cause he won't have a car and won't even be in the same state...but the car insurance refuses to drop him unless we have proof that he's moving to some other insurance.  Which, he's not.  He won't have a car.  But that makes no difference to them so we'll be visiting our most fav party place, the DMV, and changing his license to an ID so we can make them drop him.  He's also having trouble getting his bank card to work (just an electronic snafu) and the banks been helpful trying to straighten it out...but he still may not have it fixed before he needs it.  And, the list goes on.

The most troublesome bit, though, is at least rather poetic--he's had complications from having his wisdom teeth pulled.  This means that we'll be lucky if he's healed up (and recovered from a week+ of liquid/soft foods) in time to hit campus and start classes...but will definitely not be ready for his audition for jazz combo placement.  Kinda hard to play a trombone with a swollen mouth, and besides, the dentist has forbade him from practicing!

So, why is this all making me chuckle?  Because this, as I explained to him recently, is what the 'adult world' is all about.  Yes, what should be a two minute call to activate a bank card may take twenty minutes, or two weeks.  Yes, what should be simple oral surgery may hit a snafu and take time healing.  Yes, the DMV will always take the longest possible stretch of time you can give it--cubed.  It requires self control to remain polite, and an effort to be optimistic in this adult world, and a mega dose of patience won't hurt...which are all key ingredients to wisdom.  How appropriate, then, that in our case it all kicked off with that lovely rite of passages that is getting one's wisdom teeth extracted.

Welcome to the adult world, my son.  We move slower than you'd like, but we'll get you somewhere better.