Failing to launch, or just sputtering

system
Sat, 05 Aug 2006 23:20:05 +0000

Well, launching for our firstborn turned out to be trickier than we had expected. He entered college with a clear plan: major in Japanese and take a lot of engineering courses, do a summer internship in Japan, do the fifth year engineering program for a master’s, then get a job and later work on a PhD. Well, things just didn’t work out for him. He didn’t get the positions he put in for. He spent a year after graduation at home, spinning his wheels, working very part-time, still, unfortunately, supported by Mom and Dad. It was a time where he did a lot of reflection, but also wasted a lot of time. We really didn’t know what to expect of him, but tried to be supportive and encouraging, while at the same time pushing him just a bit to find his path.

Then, unexpectedly, an opportunity arose, and he jumped on it. He is now working in Japan in a position that doesn’t pay a lot, but which is teaching him many, many skills that will be very useful to him in future years. His future plans are changing and still vague, but he loves where he is, and I can see tremendous growth and learning taking place. I did convince him to take the GRE, in case he does want to go on to grad school, but much remains uncertain at present.

I can empathize, however. It took me several false starts before I found what I wanted to do with my life, and I have confidence that he, too, will find his path, even if it does involve a little wandering first.