I'm back on Oahu. I stepped off the plane the other night and felt like I was walking into an aquarium. Apparently the Kona winds and the accompanying humidity kicked into high gear while I was gone. Hello, Hawaiian summer. It was quite the contrast from the crisp 68 I left in MN. Minnesota is funny place to be, weather-wise. The first Saturday I was there I woke up to 39 degrees. Four days later it was 97 in the afternoon. Yes, 97. I think a 58 degree fluctuation qualifies as drastic. The weather stayed around the 70 degree mark for the second half of my trip. I had hoped for a good ol' thunderstorm while I was home, but didn't get one. But I shouldn't complain as the weather at the Dome for Memorial Day weekend was great.
[An aside: weather and roads are the two main topics of conversation in Minnesota or among Minnesotans. I went to get my haircut today and, lo and behold, the salon employed two Minnesota natives. When I asked where one of the girls was from, she answered, "Brooklyn Center, by the 252 split with 694. You?" I answered, "South Minneapolis, off of the 46th Street exit of 35W." We both nodded solemnly. Ah yes, she was one of my people. Too bad we didn't have time to discuss the multitude of routes to get up North for Labor Day weekend; we could have talked for hours.]
While I was home I got to watch my girls play their last two softball games of the season. I've been involved in coaching or assisting with my high school's softball teams for the last few years. [I didn't blog about it much last year, the first year where I had my blog going during softball season, but there are a couple of entries.] I started coaching five years ago when my Megan, my sister and varsity softball coach, said she needed a coach for the B Squad. (The B Squad is mainly 9th graders, but every year there are a couple of 8th and 10th graders on it.) I took on the job, not really having any knowledge of how to coach the sport that I loved to play and watch. Let's just say that I learned just as much as my girls that season. Coaching 14 year old girls is not for the faint of heart but I assure you, it makes you a better person.
I had two 8th graders on my B Squad. That made then seniors this year. Both were on Megan's varsity squad - one the starting catcher, one the starting left fielder. While I have watched both of them grow up over the last five years, it was strange watching them as 18 year olds out there finishing up their softball careers. The left fielder will be attending the U of MN in the fall. The catcher? She'll be joining the Air Force.
My former 8th grader is joining the Air Force.
I. Am. Old.
She leaves for boot camp eight days after they graduate from high school. While most of the team will be working their summer jobs and getting ready for college in the fall, she'll be going through boot camp. I couldn't be more proud of her. I think the Air Force will be good for her. She always had the skills to be a great softball player, but not necessarily the focus. I think that the military will help her with that. I'm hoping it will also give her the opportunity to develop her leadership skills - she's got the teamwork skills down pat. I've seen that for the last five years. Now she just needs to come out of her shell a little more and become more assertive.
I'd like it if she was coming out to Hawaii, the coach in me wants to be available to help her out, but she'll be somewhere in the southwestern US doing her thing. I told her that if she gets the opportunity to come out to Hickam or Bellows that I'd have her over for dinner every night, if she wants. She laughed, but we both knew that I was totally serious. She's a good kid and I want her to succeed.
This is the right choice for her. I get the feeling she's been looking for a way out for awhile. "Out" of what, I'm not sure. But I've always had the feeling that she's been waiting for that chance to be done with school and go. So off she goes, into the wild blue yonder.
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