Child B made it safely to our relatives’ abode in Houston yesterday. I must compliment myself on the grand way I held it all together and did not worry at all, even though my daughter had traveled across Texas, camped out all alone in a primitive state park, then traveled the rest of the way across Texas. Yes, I am not one of those hovering fathers, one of those “helicopter parents.” No sireee!
Anyway, Child B spent some time with those distant relatives, distant only by miles, not by heart. Then she went on some adventure, apparently going to the big city itself. There, during the night, Child B went to some entertainment establishment wherein the music featured is apparently of a genre strange to her elderly parents. This music is maybe “metalicca” or maybe some other form of heavy metal. But the people dance in a fashion known as “headbanging,” thus the participants are known as “headbangers.” I, even at my advanced age of 50, have heard of headbangers, but I never realized that one could actually get hurt while participating. But what do I know? It is apparently a fun and wholesome activity for the younger set.
Child B is very adept at making friends in any situation, so it was not a big surprise to learn that she met two guys who became her buddies for the evening. I, of course, not being the hovering father, was not concerned in the least. Of course, my lack of concern was enhanced by the fact that I learned of these events much later. But, Child B is a big girl now, and the parents have to simply sit back and know that they have finished the job of raising the child. Now Child B must flit about in the world using all the things her parents taught her, or ignoring all the things her parents taught her and learning it all for herself. I think there is a little of both in all people as they leave the nest.
So, as a merely CONCERNED parent, and not a HOVERING FATHER, I cautioned Child B about the usual things that parents caution their children about, including the fact that she should be careful with people she meets because one never knows whom one may encounter. She was thinking of good time friends, while I of course pictured Jack the Ripper and Ted Bundy! But she survived the night, as most people do. So today I am sure she will see more of the seacoast and probably look up her friend, another girl from Greenwood. I really FEEL for Houston knowing that this pair is turned loose on that gem of Texas. Today a gleaming, modern metropolis; tonight, a FEMA cleanup area! Just kidding. But if you live in Houston, tonight would be the perfect time to visit West Texas.
Tomorrow…more from Child B’s adventures.
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