and life goes on

 This morning my grandson Mark attends his very first class as a college freshman. His first course? Modern history. He tells me that begins in 1877. The reconstruction period in American history lasted from 1863 to March of 1877. I'm assuming the course will begin with that milestone in history. An interesting place to begin a course given the climate of today. What with the calling for reparations and all of that. I'll be interested and paying attention to what is being taught. Following his history class he has English. He'll finish up his first day with contract law. He is taking legal studies with an eye on the possibility of becoming an attorney one day. But we have to get past the first day first. I'm excited for him. 

 Also starting this week: the official campaign begins. My son is running for mayor of Greensboro. Now he is already the interim Mayor, the previous mayor having to step down due to health reasons. Greensboro has a population of about 2000. Yes, it is a thriving metropolis! You would think that not much is happening but you would be wrong. There is political turmoil here just like everywhere else. Social media plays a major role in all of that. Amazing how quickly good and bad can be spread. And misinformation can be distributed in a moment. We recently had the big trash crisis. A new company was contracted to pick up the trash but failed to deliver new cans. Now, everyone still had their trash picked up but those new cans weren't delivered as promised. It was quite the upset. The end result was that contract was terminated, another company contracted, and new cans delivered! It was touch and go there for a while, nerves were frayed, but calm has returned to Greensboro. Small town politics aren't as simple as all that though. Greensboro has been the center of a very serious issue. There are hard feelings on both sides on the proverbial aisle. It'll take a steady hand to guide the ship through this storm. I naturally believe my son is the man for the job. Let the campaigning begin.

 Tomorrow my granddaughter goes to the high school to begin a course of instruction. She is taking a college level class that begins one week before the official school year. Her parking pass has been secured. We helped with the purchase of supplies. She is just a junior this year, just a junior, I say that to make myself feel a little better, but it seems like she will also be grown and gone soon. Life is constantly changing and it gets difficult to keep up sometimes. I will go tomorrow morning to take a picture of her leaving for school. It's been a tradition ever since the kids started school. Somewhere in my archives of photographs I have those from pre-school to today. As they got older they complained but I think secretly they would have been disappointed in we hadn't.  

 We see the present through the lens of the past. Everything that happens is compared to what was. That's why change can be so difficult. The more comfortable you are with the past the harder it is to accept the new. Mark was an honor student throughout his school years. I have no doubt he will be the same in college. Still I can't help but be nervous for him. It's a challenge, a new world, new expectations. He's my grandson and it's difficult to watch the test. But I keep saying, he'll be fine. Still there are over 3600 students attending Stevenson University, that's almost twice the population of Greensboro! Reason for concern? Well the world is a big place and he is in it. 

 Well fall will soon be here. A change in the seasons, always changing. It's the way of the world and of life. My grandson is attending University, the granddaughter driving and taking advanced classes at the high school and a son running for mayor. Just another day in Greensboro? Yes, I guess it is. And life goes on.