Freedom's Coming

It's May 15th, and on June 27th, my life will change forever. Jason will graduate high school. Yes, he'll still be my responsibility in a lot of ways, but I will never again have to concern myself with supervising homework. I won't stay home nights to make sure he's studying for his tests. With any luck he will find a summer job (he is still looking) but whether he does or not, I'm going to be freed from the bondage of sitting home, forever.

At the end of August he'll go away to college and we'll have an instantly empty nest. That's a drawback to having only one child, but we can't change that now. I'll miss him terribly but already my mind is jumping around and I'm planning all the things I'll be able to do that I've had to put on hold for 18 years.

I can get a job. I'd prefer to work three days a week so that I can also do other projects. I'd like to publish my book, "How to Kill a Church." If it gets published I would have to publicize it to increase sales, because publishers themselves don't do an adequate job of that. I'd like to get the business plan completed for a pet sitting business with Jason as our star pet sitter. That will take time and I'd like at least two free days a week so that I can work on these other projects.

But we also can use some more money to fund college, so a job, even a part time job, would be a big help.

I've been reading some business oriented books along with my usual fiction, and I'll review them here also when I am done with them.

In addition I'd like to do more volunteer work. I'm investigating organizations where I can use my skills and make a positive contribution that will actually make a difference in the world beyond the organization's walls.

So I am investigating rejoining a local Amnesty International chapter and I'm thinking about volunteering with the AARP. I'm also volunteering to work with the Association of Fundraising Professionals so that I can become better known in the field.

I'm going to take more advantage of free programs in Manhattan so that I can continue learning about writing, fundraising and other subjects of interest.

I know I'll miss Jason and I'm sure I will worry about him when he's upstate in college. But I feel freedom looming on the horizon, a freedom I haven't had in so many years. It's time to pursue my own interests now. It's only six weeks, but already I'm just about jumping up and down with impatience, wanting it to begin.