Tempus Fugit

Just yesterday our granddaughter Alison was a baby, a toddler, a pre-schooler, on to elementary school, and all too quickly graduating from high school. Thursday morning her parents are driving her to Williamsburg to enter the Freshman Class at The College of William and Mary.

How did it happen so quickly?
Jim and I took her to the Black Market Bistro for lunch today to celebrate the start of her new life-adventure. She is so excited and ready to leap out into the world!

Remember that feeling when you stood on the edge of the nest and plunged? Exhilarated and scared? I surely do. I stepped onto the midnight train, The Southerner, leaving Charlotte, NC for Baltimore and the world beyond. I sat up all night as the train rolled through the dark countryside, sometimes with my nose pressed against the glass, sleepless and scared, but eager.

I doubt that I was as poised and self-assured as Alison is. And I am certain I did not carry the extensive techno-networks that she has in her pocket.
Jim and I were fascinated to hear how she already knows so much about her future classmates through Facebook and how she registered on-line after checking out the professors through Rate the Professor.






We made sure to get her latest email contact and her address. I assume that college students are still getting care packages. No problem with being connected - the campus has WIFI all over.
Since we have the same Apple iMac computer that has the camera up top we can tele-conference, once I learn how to do it. And I will, I promise you.

During lunch we had five trains. Long and noisy and wonderful. One passenger train, and four long and heavy freight trains.

"Do you know the story, Mr Fox?" I asked Alison. She said she was not sure, so I told her a gentle bare-bones version,just hitting the high points of the dangers of being taken in by Mr. Charming. "Its an old, old folktale." I assured her. "Its known that Shakespeare quoted it in Much Ado About Nothing. Its a cautionary tale."

Jim was looking at me rather askance. Alison smiled and listened politely.
But,isn't that what older women are supposed to do? Worse case she can laugh about her crazy grandmother with her friends; best case she may remember the story. Its a story with a powerful warning that is as pertinent today as it ever has been.
Be Bold! Be Bold!
But not Too Bold!
Lest Your Blood Run Cold. -

Its a good thing to remember.

Lectures and instructions are for the parents to do. What could it hurt for a grandmother to plant a little story?



When we finished our lunch and hugged our good-byes I lolly-gagged a little to snap a few pictures. I liked this composition of circles - reminded me of the circles we do in life.