Fall—Boy Scouts and Nationals

Dear Dad,

I miss you most this time of the year. The weather is getting cooler, and every time I see a pumpkin or leaves strewn across the grass I think of you. Facebook continuously reminds me of of your absence with memories of happier times—celebrating Nonna’s birthday, pumpkin picking, and apple picking. Sure I miss you a great deal in the summer. Summers we also spent much of our time with you. But now we go away in the summer. I try to spend as much time as possible traveling and exploring new places. The bonus of going away is that I’m distracted from all the memories, all the missing. The fall is different. I’m stuck in New Jersey, at a job that is rough, and I have too much time to remember what life used to be like. I miss being able to run away to Long Island. I miss being able to see you. And as always, I miss being able to call you up to tell you about G3’s successes.

Last Monday was the Welcome Back Court of Honor for Boy Scouts. You would have been super proud of G3. He ranked up to Life, got the patches for the eight Eagle required merit badges that he earned over the summer, and he officially took over as the new ASPL (Assistant Senior Patrol Leader). Now he needs to start working on his Eagle project. He wants to be able to do it this year, but wanting it isn’t enough. Every time I tell him to start talking to the Boy Scout leaders and do some research, he gets made at me, telling me I’m pushing too hard. So I stopped. Hopefully, he’ll find the motivation to do start doing what needs to be done. If you were here, I’m sure he’d be talking to you about it, and you’d be able to motivate him in ways that I can’t.

This weekend we drove out to Pittsburgh so G3 could compete at Fall Nationals. (I am no longer doing Taekwondo. I wish I could tell you why, but there are too many fragile egos involved and so that no one takes it out on G3, I will refrain from going into detail. However, it might be best because an opportunity has presented itself for an excursion for me and G3 in the summer of 2025, and since I’m only a teacher, I wouldn’t have been able to afford both teakwood and the trip. And you know I enjoy traveling and seeing new places more than anything else.) G3 did very well. He placed first in forms and first in weapons. He didn’t place in combat which disappointed him a little, but it just means he needs to work harder and practice more. As for sparring, he chose not to compete. He doesn’t want to get hurt and he doesn’t enjoy it that much. 

After the tournament, we went out and had a fantastic time. Over the course of several tournaments we’ve become friends with the parents of one of the boys in G3’s ring. They live in Pittsburgh so a few months back we made plans to go out together. They recommended Coop De Ville, a fun place not far from the convention center where G3 competed. The food was good and the games were even better. We all seemed to love playing pinball. I hadn’t played in years and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. We also played a couple of rounds of duck pin bowling which was fun. I had never played before and I definitely need more practice. But even though I didn’t do all that well, I had a good time. G3 and his friend—the boy in his ring—finished out the night with a few games of pool. G3 had never played before and was happy that he finally had the opportunity.

I miss you! I know if you were here, you’d have gone out to Pittsburgh to watch and cheer G3 on. How is it that I can miss your absence as something you never had the chance to do when you were alive?