Happy Birthday, Boobie

I first saw Will when his mother showed me a picture of a little tan-skinned boy with curly hair sitting on Santa Claus' lap. She told me the boy was her son. I said "congratulations!" because I didn't know what to say.

Within a couple of months I was dating the boy's mother. That was January '95. Boobie, her affectionate name for him then (and sometime's now when the moment feels right), would turn 3-years-old that month. Today he turns 18.

I've always thought I was lucky to get in good with him at such a young age. Had I met him at 7 or 8 or 9, it's possible he would have never liked me. His mom said once that he was basically an adult at age 10. And I think that's true.

Around that time he watched Pokemon a lot-- a show about a boy roughly the same age who traveled independently with his Pokebal. Ash went from tournament to tournament with his ball and his pets fighting more experienced trainers. I can see now how he felt connected to that show.

At 18, Will is smarter than his stronger friends and stronger than his smarter friends. If he even has smarter friends. He's confident, but quiet around people he doesn't know. He sings songs loud and off-key when he chooses to sing. But he hasn't been uncool for years. He never smiles in pictures.

Before his Grandpa Bud died, when Will was 12 or 13 or so, we had gone over for dinner. I think this was near the time that became a weekly event. Bud had a camcorder, and as soon as Will walked in the door Bud asked Will to stand still because he wanted to take his picture.

Will stopped right in front of the camera, and simply looked in. He didn't pose, as most would do. He didn't avert his eyes or talk to others-- he just stood there and let his Great-Grandpa videotape him. Bud had pulled his eye away from the view-finder for a moment to look at him, perhaps a little taken aback by his great-grandson's lack of shyness, his lack of goofiness. Then he took took the camera back, and the two stared honestly at each other for a minute before turning his attention to others.

Today is Will's birthday, and he is over at a friend's house. In the fall he is moving to Columbia to start college. He's played varsity football, and he's beaten Kickapoo. His G.P.A. is good. His A.C.T. score was more than enough.

We're here if you need us, Will. We're not going anywhere.