Hello I Must Be Going

I got ‘carded’ at a restaurant not long ago.

It made me smile when the first response to my drink order was to be asked for proof of my age. Can’t tell you the last time someone was worried about whether I was of legal age.

I just smiled, pulled out my driver’s license and told the waitress that I graduated from college last century. At the time I didn’t think twice about it because I was just being silly.

It was just one of those innocuous comments that come back for a visit long after they have passed between our lips. No reason to think twice about it, nothing serious to be found within it, or so I thought.

A few weeks later my son walked into the kitchen and effortlessly reached into a cabinet that had once been inaccessible to him without a stool.

I stood in the corner and watched him grab a few more items as he prepared his own lunch and realized if the next chunk of time follows a certain path we could be at the tail end of his living at home.

It caught me by surprise.

It was just one of those innocuous comments that come back for a visit long after they have passed between our lips. No reason to think twice about it, nothing serious to be found within it, or so I thought.Click To Tweet

Could he really be that old?

Could I?

It is kind of a ridiculous question because I was in the room the day he was born. I know exactly how he came to be from start to finish but that didn’t make me wonder if maybe my math was flawed.

That little man of mine isn’t so little any more.

Four years of high school have started and within a blink they’ll pass by and he’ll be off to college. It is not ridiculous to say that he could go to school out of state and never move back home.

Mind you, none of this is a bad thing.

The point of parenting is to raise kids to become independent and productive members of society.

But I would be lying if I said it didn’t bother me a little bit to realize how close to the moment where he really heads off on his own.

How Did It Get Late So Soon?

It is hard enough for me to accept that it is almost 30 years since I graduated high school or that it is more than 20 since I earned my degree but both are easier than recognizing how old the kids are.

My baby isn’t really a baby anymore either.

She is a girl racing full speed towards becoming a teenager with no regard for what her fast pace is doing to my hair.

This is not to say that there haven’t been a number of moments where I wonder who stopped the clock and agonized over how long some things were taking.

There have been plenty of those and I anticipate there will be more to come. That is the joy of the roller coaster nature of life.

But it doesn’t mean I don’t want to stop the clock for my own purposes and find a way to stand at the side of the pond skipping rocks with the kids.

Nor am I ready to concede my place as strongest and fastest in the house.

You might see those as being silly needs, but I take pleasure in those being among my biggest concerns because they are indicators about how many problems I have.

If those are among the top things I focus upon than I know life is pretty good.

Now if I can only figure out that time stopping thing, that would be one hell of a nifty trick.

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By Joshua Wilner

Hi, I am Josh Wilner and I am happy that you have decided to visit my corner of cyberspace. I am a writer/marketer/friend and family man. My professional background includes more than twenty years in working with businesses to help them do a better job of connecting with their existing and prospective customers. More specifically I have worked with companies of all sizes from the Fortune 500 to the new start up to help them build, develop and grow their social media and marketing plans. I love spending time with my family and friends. I enjoy music, reading, writing, playing sports and laughing.

6 comments

  1. Susan – Susan Cellura is a marketing communications professional with over 20 years of experience. She is a dynamic communications professional and enthusiastic team-builder, with a progressive history of success in designing and implementing communications programs for global organizations. A strategic thinker with the ability to understand the needs of multiple audiences and deliver solutions, Susan is a results-oriented problem-solver with exceptional interpersonal and negotiation abilities. Having worked in a variety of global industries, she has grown business communications in her current position via a strong mixture of strategic resources, including social media.
    susancellura says:

    Joshua, I would like to stop time as well when it comes to my daughter.
    She’s about to turn 10 and I can’t believe it. Like you, though, I am THANKFUL for this.

    Reply
    1. TheJackB – Someone complained that this page doesn’t tell you what to expect to find here in this blog so I aim to rectify this with the next line. I am a father who writes about life, parenting, business, politics and fiction. I don’t use an editorial calendar because I don’t map out what I am going to write that far in advance. The primary focus will be on things that relate to children and parenting. But the nifty thing about that is that encompasses a wide range of things. Sometimes I work with companies on their PR/Marketing efforts. If they provide products or services I will disclose it. Here is an incomplete list of companies that I am currently or have recently worked with: Nintendo, Philips Norelco, Subway, Frigidaire and Mattel. Want to know more about me, keep reading. If I wanted to provide a professional description it would looks similar to this: Jack has a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from California State University Northridge. He has been writing for print and web publications for more than twenty years, covering a wide range of topics including: business, technology, parenting, politics, education, sports and religion. That is far too serious so I prefer to use something like: The Jack B. is a writer and author of 39 unpublished books and three screenplays. A former athlete and would be superhero he still fights for truth, justice and the American Way. Though he may look like a grown man, don’t fool yourself he is still a boy at heart. When he is not engaged in Walter Mitty like fantasies he is a husband, father and friend and blogs at TheJackB. Hmm…obviously I have since moved from Random Thoughts over to this place, but that is ok. This page is a work in progress which is a good description for me. I’ll probably tweak this on a regular basis so feel free to keep checking back in because you never know what might show up. I am a prolific writer and update frequently so don’t forget to scroll down the page to see what nugget of wisdom you just might have missed. Here is a short selection of posts to get you started. A Father Describes Parenting A Father’s Burden How Sister’s Helped to Train A Father of “Daddy’s Girl” Inside the Blogger’s Studio- A Dream, Er Nightmare The GermoPhobe What I Dream About I am In Love Becoming a Dad Dad’s Most Important Job A Decade of Dad Grandpa Donuts Why Your Post Sucks and Everyone Hates Your Blog A Letter To My Children- Things That Matter A Letter To My Children-2011 Dad Balances Fear Versus Reality Q&A With Daddy Blogger JackB Save The Last Dance For Me- 75 Years of Marriage An Uncertain Certainty Four Generations & A Wedding The Best Thing My Father Ever Said To Me 1 Foolproof Way To Become a Better Writer The Story Of A House- The Final Days He Died A Hero Twenty-Five Links That Will Make You A Better Writer/Blogger Thanks for coming by, I hope you like it. If you want to reach me use the contact form or try talk-to-jacknow-at-gmail-dotcom You can also find more information by clicking About Me and reading my profile there. Also, I encourage you to sign up for my newsletter using the form on the top right hand side of the page.
      Joshua says:

      Hi Susan,

      Ten is a great age, one of my favorites. I just never realized it would be the time when they started racing at full speed towards teendom. 😉

      Gah, it goes so very quickly but it is fun.

      Reply

  2. An old girlfriend of mine reached out to me on Facebook the other week. It was an innocuous “Hi, how you doing, your kids look adorable!” kind of thing.

    At first I didn’t know who she was (she’s married, with a different surname, and using her christened first name as opposed to the abbreviated one I used when we dated).

    She looked familiar, but different. And old. Not old as, holy wow you’re old, but aged. Then I realized who it was, and that I was two years older than her, and it has been 30 years since we dated.

    Where does it go indeed, mate. My son is about to start his second year at school, and it seems like only yesterday my wife and I started dating. It was almost 10 years ago.

    If you find that time machine thing, let me know if you’re looking for testers. 😉

    Reply
    1. TheJackB – Someone complained that this page doesn’t tell you what to expect to find here in this blog so I aim to rectify this with the next line. I am a father who writes about life, parenting, business, politics and fiction. I don’t use an editorial calendar because I don’t map out what I am going to write that far in advance. The primary focus will be on things that relate to children and parenting. But the nifty thing about that is that encompasses a wide range of things. Sometimes I work with companies on their PR/Marketing efforts. If they provide products or services I will disclose it. Here is an incomplete list of companies that I am currently or have recently worked with: Nintendo, Philips Norelco, Subway, Frigidaire and Mattel. Want to know more about me, keep reading. If I wanted to provide a professional description it would looks similar to this: Jack has a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from California State University Northridge. He has been writing for print and web publications for more than twenty years, covering a wide range of topics including: business, technology, parenting, politics, education, sports and religion. That is far too serious so I prefer to use something like: The Jack B. is a writer and author of 39 unpublished books and three screenplays. A former athlete and would be superhero he still fights for truth, justice and the American Way. Though he may look like a grown man, don’t fool yourself he is still a boy at heart. When he is not engaged in Walter Mitty like fantasies he is a husband, father and friend and blogs at TheJackB. Hmm…obviously I have since moved from Random Thoughts over to this place, but that is ok. This page is a work in progress which is a good description for me. I’ll probably tweak this on a regular basis so feel free to keep checking back in because you never know what might show up. I am a prolific writer and update frequently so don’t forget to scroll down the page to see what nugget of wisdom you just might have missed. Here is a short selection of posts to get you started. A Father Describes Parenting A Father’s Burden How Sister’s Helped to Train A Father of “Daddy’s Girl” Inside the Blogger’s Studio- A Dream, Er Nightmare The GermoPhobe What I Dream About I am In Love Becoming a Dad Dad’s Most Important Job A Decade of Dad Grandpa Donuts Why Your Post Sucks and Everyone Hates Your Blog A Letter To My Children- Things That Matter A Letter To My Children-2011 Dad Balances Fear Versus Reality Q&A With Daddy Blogger JackB Save The Last Dance For Me- 75 Years of Marriage An Uncertain Certainty Four Generations & A Wedding The Best Thing My Father Ever Said To Me 1 Foolproof Way To Become a Better Writer The Story Of A House- The Final Days He Died A Hero Twenty-Five Links That Will Make You A Better Writer/Blogger Thanks for coming by, I hope you like it. If you want to reach me use the contact form or try talk-to-jacknow-at-gmail-dotcom You can also find more information by clicking About Me and reading my profile there. Also, I encourage you to sign up for my newsletter using the form on the top right hand side of the page.
      Joshua says:

      Danny,

      You’ll be among the first people I contact. I need people with character, drive and the ability to write a good review. 🙂

      The funny thing about Facebook is how often I look at the pictures of friends I have known for years and think, “Damn, they have aged” and then I come to the same realization as you…”we have aged.”

      Reply
  3. Stan Faryna – Connect with me on Twitter: @faryna . Go here: http://twitter.com/Faryna . Or connect with me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/stan.faryna Or email me: stan(dot)faryna(at)gmail.com
    Stan Faryna says:

    What’s that Tweet widget called?

    Reply
    1. TheJackB – Someone complained that this page doesn’t tell you what to expect to find here in this blog so I aim to rectify this with the next line. I am a father who writes about life, parenting, business, politics and fiction. I don’t use an editorial calendar because I don’t map out what I am going to write that far in advance. The primary focus will be on things that relate to children and parenting. But the nifty thing about that is that encompasses a wide range of things. Sometimes I work with companies on their PR/Marketing efforts. If they provide products or services I will disclose it. Here is an incomplete list of companies that I am currently or have recently worked with: Nintendo, Philips Norelco, Subway, Frigidaire and Mattel. Want to know more about me, keep reading. If I wanted to provide a professional description it would looks similar to this: Jack has a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from California State University Northridge. He has been writing for print and web publications for more than twenty years, covering a wide range of topics including: business, technology, parenting, politics, education, sports and religion. That is far too serious so I prefer to use something like: The Jack B. is a writer and author of 39 unpublished books and three screenplays. A former athlete and would be superhero he still fights for truth, justice and the American Way. Though he may look like a grown man, don’t fool yourself he is still a boy at heart. When he is not engaged in Walter Mitty like fantasies he is a husband, father and friend and blogs at TheJackB. Hmm…obviously I have since moved from Random Thoughts over to this place, but that is ok. This page is a work in progress which is a good description for me. I’ll probably tweak this on a regular basis so feel free to keep checking back in because you never know what might show up. I am a prolific writer and update frequently so don’t forget to scroll down the page to see what nugget of wisdom you just might have missed. Here is a short selection of posts to get you started. A Father Describes Parenting A Father’s Burden How Sister’s Helped to Train A Father of “Daddy’s Girl” Inside the Blogger’s Studio- A Dream, Er Nightmare The GermoPhobe What I Dream About I am In Love Becoming a Dad Dad’s Most Important Job A Decade of Dad Grandpa Donuts Why Your Post Sucks and Everyone Hates Your Blog A Letter To My Children- Things That Matter A Letter To My Children-2011 Dad Balances Fear Versus Reality Q&A With Daddy Blogger JackB Save The Last Dance For Me- 75 Years of Marriage An Uncertain Certainty Four Generations & A Wedding The Best Thing My Father Ever Said To Me 1 Foolproof Way To Become a Better Writer The Story Of A House- The Final Days He Died A Hero Twenty-Five Links That Will Make You A Better Writer/Blogger Thanks for coming by, I hope you like it. If you want to reach me use the contact form or try talk-to-jacknow-at-gmail-dotcom You can also find more information by clicking About Me and reading my profile there. Also, I encourage you to sign up for my newsletter using the form on the top right hand side of the page.
      Joshua says:

      It is part of the Social Warfare plugin.

      Reply

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