Lessons from the Next Generation

My son is now officially having the time of his life in London.
He's got social engagements pretty much every night he wants, mostly with the half-dozen other interns -- and their circle of friends -- who he met while working, but also colleagues from work (all pretty close to his age) and out-of-hours work functions he keeps volunteering for.
I remember that first Sunday after he arrived in early October when he put on his Redskins jersey and the three of us watched the Redskins game in our kitchen on the computer.
I just ached for him that night, thinking what has he gotten himself into by coming here?
He seemed so alone. Like me.
Forget that.
Of course now I'm worried that Italy will be a real let-down after this. He'll be living an hour from Rome on the side of the hill there in a little town by himself, no ready-made group of young people to get to know around him like what happened here.
And the company -- and job -- will be a helluva lot more serious than this was. Much older colleagues, I would guess, Italians with families. We don't know.
All in Italian.
Ohmigod.
I mean here, he was working on a movie show, for chrissakes, in central London. Do I need to tell you anything else?
He's not that worried, though.
Says he's gotta start making some money now. So this is it. Which is true. His dad and I agree with that statement wholeheartedly.
I could learn a lot from my son.
What an admission. Because he still often doesn't make his bed in the morning.
But he's so in the present. Like they tell you to be. But like I'm not.
He just seizes it all, open to everything life has to offer, always.
The other night he had been invited somewhere to do something.
But it was already 8:30 p.m. The appointment -- at a sports pub -- was at least 45 minutes away on the Tube -- and it was raining.
And he had to go to work the next day.
He hesitated for a second when he looked outside and realized it would be a late night -- and take a long time to get there.
Then he jumped out of his chair like a stick insect and announced, "I'm going. What else am I gonna do tonight?"
(Uh, go to bed early? Get horizontal and read or watch TV, like yours truly?).
"Gotta go to things, Mom. Gotta get out there in life."
Came home late. Went to work as usual the next day.
Had a great time.
I went to bed early.