Oldest Son moved to Colorado almost a year ago. He's happy, healthy, and relatively smart, but those things haven't kept me from feeling maternal concern and dispensing advice:
- I don't think you should attempt Long's Peak as your first 14'er.
- Do not drink and drive. (He did listen to this one, took a taxi home, found out his car was impounded because there was no overnight parking, and had to walk twelve miles and pay $$$ to get his car back. I'm not sure exactly what lesson he learned, but lessons were learned!)
- Spend your very limited funds very wisely.
- The generic "Be careful" has always been a favorite of mine.
I think I've gotten better at actually worrying less and giving him fewer warnings (he may disagree), but it looks like I may need to add another item to my list:
At first, this sounded almost laughable to a clueless Easterner, but it turns out that the
Yersinia pestis bacteria is present on many Western rodents, rabbits, the fleas that feed on them, and the domesticated animals that may interact with infected wildlife.
The Colorado Dept. of Health is way ahead of me so it looks like I don't need to worry too much, however, I am prepared for plenty of eye-rolling when I tell him to avoid the plague like the plague.
eewww! I'm sure he'll be REALLY careful!!
ReplyDeletenice set of rules to live by. I think we will always worry about our children even when they are adults!!
ReplyDeleteAaack! And I use be careful too. ;-)
ReplyDeleteAh. Those boys. As Tom likes to say, "The lessons keep rolling in!" (And they seem to. . .) As for the plague . . . I spent many of my growing-up years in Wyoming and Colorado. With the plague. Don't spend much time worrying about THAT one. ;-)
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