Leaving on a Jet Plane and other Leavings

Graduation has created a furor in our home---I just asked the simple question " What would be a good book to give the graduate?" My daughter has replied, "Dad, please. The kids don't need to be uplifted, they just want to leave."

Yup, that must be the reason that "Leaving on a Jet Plane" is so popular for lead singers this time of year, as well as "Mustang Sally,". As I reflected on it, I had to admit that when I was 18, my favorite songs were "Little Deuce Coupe" and "Surfer Girl" by the Beach Boys. Whatever social or automotive problems I had in Minnesota during those years could be simply solved by a plane ticket. Yes, Ford Falcon reality could be instant dune buggy. If you lived in Lake Wobegon or any town in Minnesota, with the cold, dark winters, you understand the Surfer Girl thing. but I digress.

The solution---In honor of the late Ann Bancroft, give the graduate " The Graduate." For youself, buy a good uplifting book. My wife's favorite is "The Purpose Driven Life," by Rick Warren. For my Zen fans, you may like " Sidhartha," by Herman Hesse.

If you are reading this post, the plane ticket did not work. You may have a suggestion on what to do now. What book might be good. A person once suggested to me that when a child leaves, the parent goes over his/her own leaving. It is probably more important for the parent to receive the book than the graduate. You make the call.