Fun... and Odd....

Last night we went to The Old Bowie Towne Grille to watch our spiritedsoul Jami sing. She was phenomenal, like over the top amazing. We were all looking at each other saying, "wow...and she graces us with HER presence!!!!" She sings very sultry, and alternately like an angel...like Johnny C says, "it's effortless, she ain't even trying...." So needless to say, we had a great time. There were a bunch of other bands and groups there and they were almost all wonderful. We were with our regulars and some new friends, very cool.

Now here's the weird part. Our kids were there. With their friends. Who we mostly know quite well, some reallllly, reallly well like our 2 extra sons and our theater family. We were at our big table with our buddies and they were at their big table with their buddies. Who, like my son, have all turned 21. Only a small partition separating us.

They had beer.

And shooters.

It took everything I had not to go over and give them a stern lecture on the dangers of drinking and driving and premarital.....oh never mind. It was surreal. I'm sitting with my buddies drinking a beer and watching myself 25 years ago. You know? They are actually older than I was at their age. The drinking age was 18 when I was 18. Rhia turns 18 on Sunday. And NO, she was not drinking...although if she was at least I would have had someone to lecture. I have known most of these kids for years, it was really, really weird to see them as grownups ordering beer. But alas, that is what they are. According to our society anyway, one of them, one of my favorite extra sons is leaving for Iraq tomorrow. He is apparently old enough to .....well, I can't even go there.

You ever have one of those moments where time stands completely still...and everything slows down and it feels like one of those movies where the camera is focused on one person and everyone around them is drinking and laughing and the one person is having a major revelation? That was me last night. Only I don't know what the major revelation is. Other than the whole they are growing up thing. And I'm not sure you can communicate all the implications of that statement into one sentence.

I am one who sees the past, the present and the future all at the same time. It's an odd place to be.

Godspeed my 'son'. We are with you and will hold you close. In our prayers and in our hearts. We love you and have faith in you. And God.