52 Weeks: Week 47

High School Football Games: what memories! As my son enters high school and his first football game approaches, I have mixed feelings. Since he isn't a football player and he isn't in the marching band (we had planned to be in Florida and he had planned to be in the band there), I am just not excited about it like I would be otherwise. In 8th grade, his band played a few games with the high school band to get the feel of how it is. We went to the games and really enjoyed the atmosphere. It brought back memories for us, as his parents, and it seemed to motivate him to view high school in a positive light. However, he did NOT want to be at the local high school: his sights were set on a school in Florida with an award-winning marching band. The cost of participating in a high school marching band is quite high, so he opted to wait until he was settled into his high school in Florida. Now it is football season, and we aren't there yet. What a disappointment!

So, as the season begins and teenagers everywhere are donning school colors and preparing to root for their home teams, my son is not so excited about it. As his parents, we were really looking forward to watching him play in the band and enjoy his first taste of high school football season, but it isn't working out that way. We are all trying to muster up some school spirit here, but all any of us can think about is everything we were planning to do in Florida! I sure hope the move works out soon! It is hard to get excited about life here when our minds are there. I think anyone who is planning a move but is experiencing a delay knows what I mean. Once you get your mind on how things will be in your new home and life, it is hard to enjoy things if you end up being stuck in your old life or in a place you hadn't intended on being.

My son decided not to go to the game, so we aren't going either. It just feels like a let-down because we were all really looking forward to football season and the marching band. Oh well, maybe next year. I look at it like this: he's kind of a "red-shirt freshman". He has to "sit out" for his first year, but things will really kick into gear beginning in his sophomore year. I am trying to get excited about being the parent of a high schooler, but the situation is making it more difficult. I can't wait until NEXT year's football season: that will be a lot of fun for all of us!