Before we left Durango for Montana, we checked in with the Boy. How was he feeling about going to boarding school?
"This is hard/easy versus easy/hard. Going to boarding school now will be hard, but it will make life easier in the long run. Or, I could do what is easy now, but then later my life will be hard. It is better to do the hard part first, and then I can look forward to the easy part."
While that isn't always true, I had to agree in this case. Yes, it will be easier to graduate from high school sooner than later.
Why else was he content to go to boarding school instead of coming home?
"If I were to go home, I'd have a contract that would limit my phone time and all of that," he said. One of his friends from Wilderness was going home and the Boy got to read the contract between the parents and the Boy's friend. There are lots and lots of rules the kids need to abide by if they are to return to civilization, rules like very limited access to a cell phone (if at all), frequent drug tests, and constant monitoring of where the kids are. I have friends who are bringing their kids home right after Wilderness, and they are worried about being able to keep their kids stable and safe. The parents sometimes have to act like parole officers or policemen instead of parents. While I will miss the Boy, I will not miss having to be a guard.
The Boy continued. "If I had a contract and I went home, I'd be the only kid I knew with a contract like that. No one else would have one and I'd feel isolated and alone. No one else would have gone to Wilderness. I'd be the only one. At boarding school, everyone will be just like me. I won't feel odd or out of place."
I was awestruck by his personal insight. Most adults don't have that level of self-awareness. Not that the Boy is fully grown, but he is well on his way.
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| Campus |
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| The Boys Dorm |
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