That includes both lineages on either side so before me ... none had done it.
Truth be told I went kicking and screaming, tried to quit and was almost thrown out on multiple occasions but ... I was the first to graduate.
And I kept at it earning two post graduate degrees and would have earned more but opted to invest in writing books rather than continued academic opportunities.
It was the right choice because I ended up with the chance to give speeches, presentations and talks throughout the United States and in Europe, Cuba and the Caribbean.
The coolest were at The National Press Club in Washington D.C. where I won an award ... the Headwaters Lodge in the Grand Tetons Wyoming ... St. John Baptiste Church in Havana ... and Bar Church on Tybee Island.
Honestly now I'm a has-been but I did some cool stuff in cool places.
So it's rewarding watching our kids do cool things in cool places as they finish up their time in Academics.
Jeremy recently did a presentation in Seattle, Washington and yesterday had a paper he helped author presented in West Virginia ... now he Terenca and their girls are moving to Alabama where both will teach.
Kristen is graduating as a Nurse and spends her days in Operating Rooms.
Chelsea hosted a national conference in Florida where she's graduating with her Masters and returning to Atlanta for her career ... and her husband Sam has a Masters Degree from Georgia Tech.
I spend the morning with Maddie as her High School career begins and we spent half the time discussing her Academic future.
We'll leave Laurel and Cassidy alone for a while until they get to High School.
"They'll learn more than I'll ever know," Louie Armstrong magnificently sings in "What A Wonderful World" and I know exactly what he means.
As my life spirals towards a lovely conclusion ... theirs are exploding like rockets in the sky.
Sarah and I are already preparing for the day we work mixing margaritas on a Topical Beach and ... after work ... toast each other while reading the news from the kids and everything they're doing.
Then we'll go skinny dipping.
