On Monday, the alarm goes off at 3 a.m.
Matt gets Jake to work by 5, an hour away.
Jake packs his lunch, he only gets half an hour and the cafeteria is too pricy for his pay grade. He eats breakfast, but never breakfast food. It's usually pepperoni based.
I leave at 1 and get to the parking lot by 2 and wait. Jake's out by 2:30, earlier if his boss can let him. So I am there, just in case.
I drive him 2 hours south in the 90 minutes we actually have before his training starts. There's always traffic and the closer to Christmas, the worse that will get. Jake grabs a nap. I just worry about slow downs and keep the radio off so he can rest a little. We do the best we can.
I wait in the parking lot and he works another 3.5 hours with the police officer training. Practicing serving warrants, working on traffic stops, making arrests. They have 12 scenarios they work through plus extras like uniform inspection, running laps, taking notes. He's slotted for firearms training and a ride along. He's helping with the upcoming parades in town. His hair is 1/3 of an inch long now. Too short to grab. Regulation. Afterward, they go eat but Jake hasn't joined them for that yet. On Tuesday through Friday, the alarm goes off at 4 and we still have an hour and a half to drive home.
The switch from kid to young adult happened so fast. His car is too crappy to drive himself-chances are that it would overheat in the stop and go on the Interstate-but he's setting aside money to buy a better one. He has this streak of seriousness that's new. Not the posturing swagger he still puts on at times, but something deeper, something I don't think he realizes he does. Something humble, something that makes Matt's chest puff with pride and my chest ease a little. He just needed the chance to prove himself and he's doing that in spades.
He's running with Matt, he's making plans with friends and is gone most of the weekend to hang out. He's managing his time and money and while it's everything I hoped would happen, it's been surprising to see it unfold so easily. In that unfurling, I have been moved from the center of his Universe to a ride on Mondays until he can do better. Which is exactly what is supposed to happen, even if it is equally exciting and crappy. Kind of like labor in a way.
Matt gets Jake to work by 5, an hour away.
Jake packs his lunch, he only gets half an hour and the cafeteria is too pricy for his pay grade. He eats breakfast, but never breakfast food. It's usually pepperoni based.
I leave at 1 and get to the parking lot by 2 and wait. Jake's out by 2:30, earlier if his boss can let him. So I am there, just in case.
I drive him 2 hours south in the 90 minutes we actually have before his training starts. There's always traffic and the closer to Christmas, the worse that will get. Jake grabs a nap. I just worry about slow downs and keep the radio off so he can rest a little. We do the best we can.
I wait in the parking lot and he works another 3.5 hours with the police officer training. Practicing serving warrants, working on traffic stops, making arrests. They have 12 scenarios they work through plus extras like uniform inspection, running laps, taking notes. He's slotted for firearms training and a ride along. He's helping with the upcoming parades in town. His hair is 1/3 of an inch long now. Too short to grab. Regulation. Afterward, they go eat but Jake hasn't joined them for that yet. On Tuesday through Friday, the alarm goes off at 4 and we still have an hour and a half to drive home.
The switch from kid to young adult happened so fast. His car is too crappy to drive himself-chances are that it would overheat in the stop and go on the Interstate-but he's setting aside money to buy a better one. He has this streak of seriousness that's new. Not the posturing swagger he still puts on at times, but something deeper, something I don't think he realizes he does. Something humble, something that makes Matt's chest puff with pride and my chest ease a little. He just needed the chance to prove himself and he's doing that in spades.
He's running with Matt, he's making plans with friends and is gone most of the weekend to hang out. He's managing his time and money and while it's everything I hoped would happen, it's been surprising to see it unfold so easily. In that unfurling, I have been moved from the center of his Universe to a ride on Mondays until he can do better. Which is exactly what is supposed to happen, even if it is equally exciting and crappy. Kind of like labor in a way.
