My Boy... The Man

My son called to tell me he finally accepted the promotion at his job. They had been trying to get him to accept it for 2 or 3 years now. He is now some manager type person for a particular department at Market Street

I'm so proud of him. But then again, I'd be just as proud of him if he chose to be a struggling musician, which part of him wants to be. And I'm not so sure he won't some day just drop everything and go in that direction. He's expressed such musings to me before. Partly because it was on his mind, partly because I think he was wanting to see my reaction. Ahh... my reaction...

I've never pushed my kids into doing something they didn't want to do. (minus homework, chores and being good kids, although I really didn't have to push them on any of those things) I DID push my kids into trying new things that might interest them, though. I raised my kids on the "you can be anything you want to be" philosophy. And I still believe they can. My son is like his Dad in that he's a VERY hard worker. Has been since the day he started working. For the last 5 years, he's gone to school full time and has had a full time job. When he's not doing those things, he's practicing with his band and performing. In between all of that, he finds time to practice and record his own music, study, play on the computer and go out with friends. I don't think he's dating right now. (That's a story unto itself) So when my 22 year old son comes up to me and tells me he seriously thinks about quitting his job (with a most certain profitable future) and doing his music full time (with a NOT so certain profitable future) and he hangs on the end of that sentence, looking at me expectantly, his eyebrows raised in unknown anticipation, my mind is racing through possible things I could/should say to him.

Unfortunately, this conversation took place about a year ago and exactly what I said to him has been lost in 40 year old memory land. The basics were this: On one hand, he has a job he really likes, he has a certain future there, he will be paid moderately well. On the other hand, he has his passion and his heart. That one thing that drives him and will always drive him, but the money and success are always iffy, but if they come, they could be BIG and I won't have to fear being old, poor and a burden on my kids. He is excellent at both and has the energy and maturity to be able to do either. I told him he would always have his music if the job thing didn't work out the way he wanted, but he might not always have the job if the music didn't. In a nut shell, I told him he had to go with what would make him the happiest. Then I'm sure he said something like, "You weren't any help at all". That or, "I'm hungry".