Pundit in training

We got Dan on the plane for Edmonton today; back to Camrose for his second semester.  I managed not to cry.  He used his holiday to catch up on much needed sleep... and keep up with American politics.

I have to admit, I am not a political animal.  I try and stay informed, but I sure don't put a lot of effort into it.   This fact makes me confused as to why I have a son who is passionate about ours and USA's  governments.  Where did that come from?  What crazy dormant gene decided to assert itself when Dan was in the making?  It's a mystery.

I blame it on Nelson.  That's where it all started.  Onetime when I wasn't looking he decided to join the Green Party.  Apparently the local candidate was busy visiting the schools and preaching the party line to an obvious captive audience.  The kicker came when she started handing out tiny evergreen saplings... what kid wouldn't want their very own tree?  That sealed the deal for Dan and he became a man on a mission.  First he made his way to the Green Party headquarters and got a sign, buttons, pamphlets and the blessings of said candidate.  Then, he gathered his tree, a TV table, his sign and pamphlets and parked himself on main street in order to convert the deceived and undecided. I'm pretty sure that wasn't legal, so we hoped the cops were too tied up with pot busts to notice.  I think he managed to stay almost 2 hours before being encouraged to pack it in before the other candidates complained.  That was the beginning and he never looked back.

This Christmas found Dan glued to the Republican primary.  He's studied every running candidate and staked his ground behind Ron Paul.  He's spend hours on Youtube listening to interviews and debates featuring RP.  He knows all about his foreign and domestic policies,  personal stands on all the hot buttons, and his desire to 'get America back on it's feet'.  He was glued to the TV during the Iowa primaries and no doubt will do the same with New Hampshire.  When RP ended up in third place behind Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum, he sulked for the rest of the night and into the next day.  I hate to think of how he'll react if (or when as most would believe) Ron Paul does not get the nomination.  This is the dark side of major emotional investments in politics, my friends.

Still, when all is said and done, I kinda like that he feels so strongly about the leadership of this country and has not grown cynical like so many of the rest of us.  Maybe that's his calling... after all he is a Drama major!  Naw, I wouldn't wish that life on him.  I'm just happy I have him as a great resource; someone to answer all my questions on the subject. And maybe, just maybe, I'll learn to embrace the process myself.

But I wouldn't vote on it...

New Year

I can't believe it is already January 3rd.  It feels like I lost a month somewhere in the shuffle.  Nothing has changed really, and yet everything has.  We're into another year that, according to the Mayans, will be our last.  That puts a lot of pressure on it to be something spectacular, which makes me nervous.  How do you do enforce spectacular?  It seems like a big job.

No snow.  We have no snow and it's January.  Usually that's when the real winter fun begins and we are socked in for a good 2 months, ending our winter with another month of dirt, slush and sand covering the roads and walkways.  The only positive thing about January is that you know that in a few months, you hit SPRING!  Spring is my most favourite season... I revel in it.  Maybe spring will bring with it my spectacular this year!  I hope so; I could use it.

I guess my biggest challenge now is facing the inevitable: both sons leaving for the long haul.  It'll be hard for me, but they have the right to embrace their own spectacular, so it's good they go.  When I'm not missing them, I am actually really excited for the experiences they will be creating.  I've come to  the conclusion that it's the realization that they are creating them on their own, with no help from us as parents, that throws me off.  This seismic shift of control transfer sends the message that somehow, without your knowledge, you've become redundant... and it happens so fast you become confused and disoriented as to what to do now.  That's where I'm at right now.
Disoriented.  And somehow, once it's all over but the crying, I have to now figure out who am I... what's my job description gonna be?  The unknown always scares me.  

I guess I have no other choice but to forge ahead and hope that somewhere in this life, I'll find a bigger purpose.

Now that would be spectacular.