Graduation Goggles.

A friend of mine that I am going to school next week sent me a picture of a girl she used to have a crush on. She looks like a 40 year old Mexican janitor. My friend then sent me another picture of said girl. She looked like a skinnier Carla Romano. For your information, that is a terrible thing. My friend, who I will mention later but not in this post, and I started talking on facebook a little over six or seven months ago. I tend to get her in trouble or damn near close to it on a rather consistent basis. She's also the first person I sent mail to. In that letter was my happy birthday wishes and a hand drawn penis.

So today is the Tuesday of my last week in Norridge. I am spending this week babysitting my little brother, Jake. My brother is 12, autistic, and has a different father. I am going to miss how he comes up to me in my room to give me a hug for no reason. I am going to miss taking walks to go get food that involve him smiling, giggling, jumping around, and making hand jestures. I am going to miss how he talks to himself when he's on his computer or randomly quoting a show he was watching. Jake is just one example of the graduation goggles I am seeing my town with.

Let me explain graduation goggles. Graduation goggles, as explained on "How I Met Your Mother", is when you start to miss something you did not like that much when you know that it is extremely close to ending. That is not to say I did not like my brother that much. My brother Jake is my pride and joy, I always knew I would miss him when I went away. I, like most people my age, are overanxious to leave the neighborhood. I have been very anxious to leave Norridge for the last five years. But when you think about the old neighborhood you start to think of things you will miss.

In my case, I will miss Italian beef, Portillo's, Jewel-Osco, Dunkin' Donuts, hot Dogs, deep dish pizza, The Loop, Norridge Park, playing football, various family members, miles of walkable sidewalks, Illinois high school football, Uptown Park Ridge, making fun of foreign kids and knowing all of the faces around town.

Good news, I can take solace in the fact that I'll have 600 dollars cash and a solid base of friends when I walk onto campus.

But then I look across the kitchen counter at Jake on his computer and realize that this will merely be a memory before I know it. We might be leaving this house if it turns out that our foundation is cracked. When college is over, Jake will almost be 16 and I'll be 22. My mom will be 44, her boyfriend Joe will most likely be an afterthought. My mom might be considering moving to New York then. I might consider moving to Texas then. My dad will be 46. My brother Joey will have just finished his first year of high school. That's a lot to think about.

I'm going to see my cousin Ryan tomorrow. For the first time since 2008. Talk about an emotional next week.

But then again, I stop and realize that the Gold of Mizzou was the light at the end of the tunnel that I was looking at throughout my senior year of high school and this summer.

Seven days from now, Julian Douglass and Paul Sponsler are moving to Mizzou. That's huge. I leave my life Sunday. I unpack my stuff Monday morning and immediately walk over to Hatch Hall to get coffee with Amanda Butler. That's exciting.

I start college on August 22nd at 9 AM. And I couldn't be happier.