Well school in our fair city has resumed which means more meetings of various organizations, more fees, more activities to fill our overstuffed calendars, and of course school supplies. I remember many years ago the bittersweet excitement of new school supplies. There was something about a new notebook, the smell of newly sharpened pencils, and the taste of new school paste – sort of like the mashed potatoes in the cafeteria. But, the summer has not been without its excitement. This summer more than any in my memory has had its ups and downs, excitement, and bittersweet moments.
My daughter approached her first summer break from college to request a foreign trip. It seems she wanted to go with some friends to Brazil and spend a month with a Brazilian family on the beach. She approached it by saying, “I hear that the beaches in Brazil are just short of heaven.” Reluctantly, being the overprotective father that I am, I gave in. About a week into her trip I started to become somewhat concerned by emails that I got from her referring to how much she appreciated her life here because of her experiences in a third world country.
As Erma Bombeck, aptly wrote, life is always greener over the septic tank it would appear. When she returned from the trip she told stories of eating in restaurants with cages of birds hanging over the table with an obvious concern about extra undesirable seasoning on the food. She also told of chickens running through open-air restaurants, reminiscent, I suppose, of the lobster tanks at local seafood restaurant. “Yeah, I have that spotted leghorn over there.”
When she arrived back, she said, “It’s great to be back in a place just short of heaven, Texas. I figured she learned a great deal from the trip. Particularly those exotic places may not be what you imagine them to be, “At least on the Texas beaches,” she remarked, “You never saw any dead horses.” I really do not want to know the rest.
When asked the things, she missed most while she was gone, and of course expecting to hear, “Well, my parents of course.” I was a little disappointed when she said Mexican food, chicken fried steak, and Dr. Pepper. She did bring me back some gifts, however including a box of coffee and a size small t-shirt. I have enjoyed the coffee, but I have not wore a small t-shirt since I was in third grade. Oh well, I never looked good in pink lace anyway.
