Whew! I’m exhausted. My brain hurts. I’ve dedicated countless hours to figuring out the best way to get rid of Mitchell, our high school senior. Not that I’m anxious for him to leave. But it’s almost time for him to move out and move on. His siblings are already negotiating for his bigger bedroom. That’s a little premature since Mitchell hasn’t settled on his future home yet. We’ve been pouring over college letters, brochures and Web sites in earnest, looking for the perfect fit for next fall.
That’s easier said than done. Mitchell’s not sure about a career path. He’s narrowed his choices to creative writing, film studies and music — specifically guitar. Trying to find one relatively small liberal arts college offering a suitable trifecta in all these areas has been a little tricky. We can’t dilly or dally in making a decision because colleges won’t wait forever to award their limited supply of scholarship money. Do you hear the clock ticking? I do. Quite clearly.
We started our search by checking Kentucky colleges and universities — ones farther than commuting distance, but close enough for occasional visits. There were financial reasons as well. Mitchell’s earned money toward tuition and fees for every “A” he’s made in high school, plus bonus points for being a Governor’s Scholar last summer. It’s comforting to see the cost of college reduced by thousands of dollars already. Maybe we won’t be living on rice and beans for the next four years after all.
Mason and I have our favorite state schools, but we’ve remained neutral for fear we’ll influence Mitchell the opposite way. After all, what do Mom and Dad, with their multiple degrees, know about choosing the right college? Granted, things have changed a lot since our college days. Thankfully, we aren’t inundated with catalogs from every institution interested in Mitchell. You only need so many door stops and I don’t have time for daily visits to the recycling center. Some correspondence still is sent through snail mail, but most of the recruiting information is available online. So we’ve been reviewing Web sites — taking impressive virtual tours, listening to student testimonials and, of course, checking financial aid potential. You can even schedule overnight visits. Very impressive.
So many choices, so little time to narrow our list and visit some campuses to ensure the schools not only look good in print and pictures, but also feel right to him. The only scouting trip Mitchell’s made so far has been to Centre College in Danville, one of Mason’s alma maters. I was out of town and missed that tour. Centre has a lot to offer, but Mitchell wasn’t ready to commit just yet. Still, the campus visit gave him a baseline for comparison. That’s progress. The ticking clock is not pounding as loudly in my head.
Our next stop was Lexington. Not UK or Transy, but Heritage Hall where a college fair was conducted. We got to travel as far as Yale in New Haven, Conn., and Lake Forest in Illinois by stopping by tables set up in the exhibition hall. There were slick brochures and fact sheets, but also real human beings to answer specific questions. Very helpful. But that event also put a half-dozen out-of-state colleges on Mitchell’s radar. Oops. We checked MapQuest. These possibilities are beyond brief road trips. Some require plane tickets. A few are so far north that students cheer for hockey teams and play winter sports. Then there’s Miami’s sandy campus and ocean view which has a certain appeal — especially if Kentucky has another severe winter.
I guess we’ll be burning up the highways and airways for the next few weeks — on our scavenger hunt to find the practically perfect university. And, as anxious as I am for closure, I’m proud of Mitchell for looking so seriously at his options, and considering all possibilities before making a decision. That bodes well for future life choices — buying cars and houses, selecting a life partner and choosing his parents’ future assisted living home.
The clock is still ticking and it will probably be a race to the finish line in a busy senior year. But it’s his life, his choice. Let’s see if he reaches the right destination. If not, he can always transfer to another school or come home. I can’t promise Mitchell his old room back, though. His brother and sisters had an easier time with their decision of who will be moving in there next fall.
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Marie Mitchell
Choosing a practically perfect college
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We are heirs and joint-heirs to His kingdom
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
“And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
“For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. — Rom 8:14-19 -
How little exercise is necessary for good health?
How little exercise is necessary for good health?
That question was the subject of a recent investigation by a team of exercise scientists at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and the answer seems to be a lot less than we might think, as long as we’re willing to put in the effort. -
A mother’s love never stops
A mothers love will always be there. Even when everyone else stops to rest, her love for her family continues. She is always working, carring and sharing what she has with her children, even if she has to do without for herself.
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Start planting your hot weather vegetables now
Hopefully, the unusual spate of unseasonably warm weather we had earlier this spring did not fool you, and you’ve been patiently waiting to get your hot weather veggies, such as tomatoes and peppers, into your summer vegetable garden.Now is a good time to start planting these delectable goodies.
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Rethinking the benefits of crunches
I’ve been doing crunches all my adult life and it may be one of the reasons I have back problems. Research from the University of Waterloo in Ontario has found that repeated bending of the spine, such as occurs when doing crunches, can contribute over time to damage of spinal discs. The results are presented — along with a lot of other useful information — in the book, “Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance” by Stuart McGill.
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Is 401(k) good for America?
Internal Revenue Code section 401(k) is the only section of the US tax code that average people can cite.
They know it has something to do with whether or not they can retire with dignity. Or retire at all. -
He is there when you need Him
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. — Psalm 139:7-10 -
It’s tough to be old
I was just thinking the other day about how tough it is to be old. We seniors have so many things to contend with. One of the first things is our memory, or perhaps I should say our lack of memory. I’ve often thought it is easier for us to remember things that happened to us when we were kids than to remember what we had for lunch yesterday. Names are hard to recall. It is embarrassing to meet someone who is familiar and we are certain we should know them, but simply cannot remember their name. In a conversation with a friend, to talk about a former friend but neither of you are able to recall their name.
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McCreary’s second term
Between the end of Madison countian James B. McCreary’s first term in 1879 and the beginning of his second term in 1911, a lot happened in Kentucky.
Democrats continued to dominates state politics, as they did Madison County politics. But, the Republicans did break through to take control of the state government once or twice. Of course, that depends on how you interpret the whole, now-infamous Taylor-Goebel affair. -
Officers elected for Post 12, auxiliary
The Richmond American Legion Post 12 and its auxiliary elected officers on April 12.
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