LAUNCH

[from last April, 2011] Wrapped up in my ego That’s wrapped up in him I watch the 18 year old. A most perfect rocket In between the Lab and space Crafted and invested With all the explosive creative genius I had to impart. A high octane cocktail for fuel = Nurture + Nature + Free Will + Sovereignty. Elegantly, and with an air of casual He stands out of reach on the launching pad. Close to the final countdown that will launch him into his future. Yet, despite his vitality And talent And intellect The engine at his core Won’t yet ignite. What gravity has kept him so weighted to the ground? Afraid to dream Or work for a dream? The tools I had to tinker with To fine tune or tweak Are proving useless now. So I put them aside and dig out the binoculars. Breathless, I watch. 4-3-2-1. Addendum May 2012: Thank God the engine has ignited! He's soaring. It's been a good first year on his own at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The binoculars are put away and have to use a telescope now. I asked Tyler for his permission to publish, here is his response: "Fore sure. I've been out of the house for a year. Long as it ain't naked pictures of me as a baby, you can put it out there. You can add in a prologue about caffeine and power bars being the fuel of a sputtering space craft as it tries to maintain an orbit of sanity staying up late working on college papers... But yeah, it's a good poem! It's fun to read now that it's not about the present me. - Ty" Launch #2: A School in Mississippi for Cameron Everyone loves this kid, but he really needs some extreme structure so I'm here to get #2 launched in USA @ Chamberlain-Hunt Academy in Port Gibson, MS (a few posts below tell the journey). Port Gibson, in Clairborne County, MS. Population: 9,000. Cameron is there for summer school during June. The fall term starts 13 August. Cadets marching to church on Sunday mornings. "The food is great! And my speech teacher is awesome."   --First letter home

The Drop off at Military School

Chamberlain-Hunt Academy, Mississippi
Sunday PM - After another full day of airtravel and getting ourselves down via an Alamo Mazda, we were finally in the little town Port Gibson, where my son will attend summer school.


After talking and praying with big brother (who was studying for finals at Cal Poly on the central coast of California), and Dad in Singapore (via Skype) I guess Cameron had had enough pep talks for one evening. Blessed kid. Grandparents wanted to talk with him too, but I was exhausted and left him with the phone number to call when he'd he felt like he'd had a little break from people telling him they were proud of him.


I awoke around 6AM and while he was still sleeping took a good walk over to campus to have a look and pray before anyone was stirring on campus. Beautiful grounds. Small, reminds me a bit of University of Puget Sound-ish. I've posted pictures at the site below.


The Isabella is really a beautiful bed & breakfast. Taking good care of us. Cameron said that it was the best breakfast he's ever eaten. I think he's going to like Southern Living. We left the B&B at 9:15AM, took a quick spin down Main Street and as we came back around got to the edge of town about 9:23 and I said, "You're going to see your new home in five seconds..."


As we turned the corner, he saw it. The big green lawn on the corner sprawls up to a small grandstand and, behind, a large set of old brick buildings, windows trimmed in white. You can see tennis courts on one side and a large forest of trees backing up to the school. What you can't see right away is the numerous basketball courts, the swimming pool, the soda dispensers in the canteen, and the sand volleyball court out back.


Finally, finally, Cameron showed that he was nervous and he said as I parked: "Ooooooohhh! My heart is racing now!"


We took a minute to pray before getting out of the car. A few other boys were between us and "The White House lawn" where they were to report. Handsome, well built young men in fatigue pants and black CHA shirts greeted us. There the Marine Commandant Todd Patterson and school Principal Quentin Johnston were also greeting parents and cadets as they arrived. One of the young men escorted Cameron to a curb where they sat the boys down to wait for enough to gather to march them over to somewhere else. Somewhere where they shave heads and issue everything he'll need this month but underwear. I think for the next few days he's going to wish he'd been more diligent about homework and chores.


MY heart is racing now, just thinking about how good this is all going to be for him.



"The White House" where administration is located is a beautiful old home, and It was all hands on deck for the registration. At least a dozen, mostly women, in khakis and white CHA polos. And they run a hospitable tight ship with stations to usher parents from room to room, to write a check, talk to the academic advisor, get a parent handbook, visit with other parents, hand over their ADHD medications to the school nurse.


The wife of the Col Patterson, the Commandant runs the kitchen, the wife of the principal is the academic advisor. You can tell that everyone sees this school as their "mission field." Even according to the lady who runs this B&B where I'm staying, Chamberlain-Hunt Academy has a lot to be proud of. They do a lot of converting of their own: Converting boys to upstanding godly men.


There will be about 55 boys 7th-12 grade in summer school and over a dozen living on or near campus running things.


It also seemed like everyone, including returning parents I met had something to say about what a family it is. At meals, staff often join the boys, and many of the staff have young children, so there's often little kids and "aunties" around.


They will send a progress report in 2 weeks, and we should get snail mail from him (though we are told to ignore please to come and rescue him!). Each week of summer school they have an outing to do something fun. The first one is a Mississippi Braves Game (baseball). They will all be calling home on June 24th. 


The sidebar has a link to flickr where I've posted other photos.