K2 had quite the college saga, but the most important thing is he got through it and is currently doing very well .
K2: This will be quite the story to tell my kids someday, mom…
Me: No, for full effect - you should let me tell them . 
He came home ( very briefly ) for Easter this weekend and while we were at a family gathering on Sunday , there was a interesting conversation happening off to the side with all the " younger " BS ( alum ) cousins - some still in college or already off pursuing their own lives and fairly new careers. Interested in the topics they were discussing - I sat down with one of my less chatty in-laws nearby and listened with one ear when the conversation turned to BS fatigue and burnout and how it hit everyone at various stages throughout their college careers.
Anyway- most impacted by this were the cousins who went to BS for a total of 6-8 years JBS - SS, but from what I gathered- everyone seemed to have felt it at one point in college - for different reasons with varying degrees of disruption - if any . No one dropped out, but one niece described it as a constant undercurrent of discontent - which seemed overly dramatic at first, but later resonated with me a little more because it is similar to how I felt during my time at college after BS, too . I dropped out of college and started my own company… and eventually my parents started to speak to me again! 
BS fatigue isn’t exactly an earth shattering phenomenon , real world problem or a unique threat to mankind, and it certainly wasn’t the sole reason or an excuse for what happened to K2 ( he’ll be the first one to tell you that ) , but it definitely played a part . How big or how small - who knows… Honestly -we’re still too close to it right now to know.
K2 falls into the six year JBS- SS model, and was ultimately a college recruited athlete- which added a whole other layer since he started his sport with fierce dedication in the 7th grade. He was also a great student at BS and won many academic prizes along way. He was a sought after peer mentor… a very tough, feared but beloved proctor ( a real BS achievement- if you can be all three ), and the most kind- together kid on the planet who could always make you laugh until it hurt.
So at Sunday’s gathering - a cousin asked K2 what happened to him during FY college and the usually very private K2 unexpectedly opened up. He talked about the unrelenting grind ( year after year ) and all the warning signs he ignored… and then he shared something that I already knew to a certain extent … but didn’t fully grasp because I didn’t have all the details, and that was about how he finally started to mend with the help of a former mentor from JBS and his former SS advisor.
He went on to say that he was acutely aware that he was in trouble from the very start of FY ( in every way imaginable - academically - spiritually- emotionally - just name it - all of it ), and he was drowning… and he didn’t understand what was happening or how to fix it. He went to the college counseling center countless times … talked to close friends - even some old GFs - but at his lowest point when nothing worked- something told him to " reach back " to people he knew from JBS and SS- BS for help - and he did.
He said - those people saved me - they were my lifeline and the only way back to who I once was… and I wanted to go back. They were there when I couldn’t face mom or dad or find an ounce of courage to save myself - and something deep down inside told me that they would know what to do because they knew me better than anyone else- so I shot them both an email asking for help and my phone rang immediately . I heard from my old advisor about an hour later.
By now he knew that I was listening… and he went on about the kind of help he received- and it blew everyone away- including me . Former mentor and advisor were told about each other early on, and together they worked out a tag team ( for a lack of a better term ) schedule that included daily check ins - phone calls, FaceTime, text or email … constant daily contact for MONTHS until he was back on his feet again . … and they became friends through K2, too.
I’m sharing this because - BS fatigue aside- I think it speaks volumes about the how deeply forged these BS relationships really are - not to mention how incredibly grateful I am right now. Obviously, I have some letters of gratitude to write in the very near future - if I can do it without crying…
Before K2 headed back to school Sunday night , we had an amazing talk. He apologized again ( and again) for letting us down and I told him not to - that he didn’t let us down and then I told him that I couldn’t be more proud - and I truly am.
Anyway - sorry for the long detour and all the background information leading up K2’s Class of 2015 update, but it seemed relevant and an ultimately uplifting part of his BS - college journey. It was quite an interesting ride, but we all learned a lot a long the way and grew as a family.
Let’s see… so where are we? Well, K2 saved a lot of money from coaching over the years, so he’d like to take some time after graduation to travel a little bit on his own. - without his boat . Currently, as a side project, he’s co-writing a screenplay in his free time with someone already established in the industry.
It’s an exciting- out of left field- opportunity that came via a family friend who ( over the years ) has listened to K2 toast and eulogize and was either brought to tears, deeply moved or couldn’t stop laughing or is still laughing hysterically years later. With K2- Toasts = tears then laughter and eulogies = laughter then tears. The trouble is - he crafts everything so you have absolutely no time to breathe. It’s a gift- trust me and he writes poetry and short stories that are very good, too - which makes perfect sense because he’s an English Major!
He seems to be enjoying the creative process so far - and we’ll see where it takes him . He’s looking forward to the future- and that’s all that really counts right now .
All the rest will follow… in time.
It’s all good.
Oh, to be young again…