Last week we celebrated my son’s eighteenth birthday. He’s in the “I” column on The BINGO Card of Life. The “I” column represents the ages of sixteen to thirty – exciting years filled with big decisions. I hope he enjoys these years. I also hope he’ll ask for my advice with big decisions. I didn’t ask for advice with big decisions when I was his age, and although they’re now my best stories, I could have lived without the stress they brought.
First, there was my decision to change majors halfway through college. I switched from music education to business. That lasted one semester. None of the business credits counted toward my eventual music degree. I lost six months and thousands of dollars. But hey, at least I know the difference between micro and macroeconomics, right?
Second, there was my first car. I bought a stick shift. I didn’t know how to drive a stick shift. You should have seen me on the way home. It looked like Onslow and Daisy pulling up to Hyacinth’s house on Keeping Up Appearances.
Of course, sometimes a leap of faith decision works out. Just as I was exiting the “I” column on my own BINGO Card of Life, I applied for a job here at BTPM Classical. And just like that, thirty years have passed. Sometimes a crazy decision turns out to be the best thing you could have done.
As my son meanders through his own Bingo Card of Life, I hope I can offer sage advice to save him from stress. I also hope he gets to make one of those crazy decisions that turns out to be the best thing he could have done.
