The kid is in a housing transition and will be moving into his own place in a week or so. In the interim he's staying with us. I'm having a blast. Neither of us is working on a regular schedule right now (we're on self-induced Summer breaks) so we're hitting all the priority stuff: hanging out with Studio Dog (and making sure she's not eating cicadas), having lunches, and running errands. Last week Ben helped me out with a three camera video shoot and tomorrow he promised to take a look at my editing attempts (which I hope he radically improves upon) but today we decided to get some exercise and walk around Lady Bird Lake (which used to be "Town Lake").
When we left the house it was a balmy 101 but during the walk we got the benefit of some addition heat and humidity which pushed the measured temperature up over 102 and the "feels like" temperature to about 107. We didn't care, we've both run the lake trail on way hotter days, and besides, we were walking instead of running.
We got to talk about finance, the state of the markets, the ups and downs of working in a P.R. firm that specializes in high tech start ups, the state of the photography industry, the state of my progress in settling my mom and dad's estates, and how the whole modality of work is profoundly changing.
On the way home we cooled down with some iced coffee from our neighborhood Starbucks. It's been like an incredible vacation for me to be able to spend so much time with my kid.
I had two pieces of advice for him today: Don't ever stop running, walking and being active because you want to be able to do it when you turn 63!!! He's got about 40 years to ponder that.
And the second piece of advice I gave him was career advice. I told him, whatever you do don't become a freelance photographer!!! Just don't.
He's pretty level headed and far less impulsive than me. I think he'll be fine.
The photo above is from a high school cross country race. I remember that day and the idea of running three sub-six minute miles in a row in 96 degree heat was shocking to me. But it never seems to phase him....
Good times.
4 comments:
Good on ya, cherish the times you have with Ben because you can never have enough of em.....
And unless you are leaving him with "independent means," tell him not to work for a museum, either.
Greg, I'm sure his much more diligent mother has already steered him away from any job that is even vaguely associated with non-profits. But I'll reinforce your advice at dinner this evening. Thanks, Kirk
Man, Ben looks like he was built to run. I'd love to be that thin.
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