Sending off my only son to a far-away college on the mainland leaves me much time to think and to reflect.

Hao is 18 years old, but he has never lived away from his parent(s) or relatives for more than a week in his whole life. Is he going to be ok?

As much as I wish to chat with him every evening, I decide not to call. Why? Because I know my wish is only my wish, not his.

Hao showed his independence as early as when he was a 3^rd grader. He told me his decision to go to Punahou (School). There are at least three excellent private schools he could choose from, but he only wanted to go to Punahou.  Luckily, he was a lot more mature by the time he applied to colleges. He only wanted to go to the UW in Seattle, but he applied to four other schools. He had his wish once again.

When I worry about him these days, I try to think what my freshman year was like at the Shangdong College of Oceanography (now the OUC) in Qingdao. I actually celebrated my 18^th birthday as a freshman. Life was simple then, studying, studying, and more studying. Wait, I did have something besides studying, that is, I went to visit my aunt and her family on some weekends. They lived inside an army complex, an hour away by bus and walk. I wore an army long coat to keep warm in winter, just like everyone else on the shuttle (truck), if I made to the pick-up site on time. My two cousins are much younger than I, so I was like a big sister. Jing is the older one, but still at least six years younger than I. When you are 18, a 12-year-old can be your little sister but not a girlfriend. (Now, we are much closer, partly because she also has a freshman in college.)

To think back, being one of the youngest in Class 77 (entering year) made me who I am: not wanting to lead. Even though I had a few months of experience as“sent-down”youth, I was basically a school girl when most of my roommates and classmates had“work” experience, some even had children. I did better than surviving, so can Hao!

转载本文请联系原作者获取授权，同时请注明本文来自虞左俊科学网博客。
链接地址：https://m.sciencenet.cn/blog-306792-494078.html

上一篇：I will grow my own rosemary...
下一篇：Honolulu Landmark: Leonard's malasadas