Graduation and the Heart-Rending Optimism of Youth

My oldest son, Seth, graduated from high school the other night. It was a proud moment for my family and for the 1,500 other people crammed into the old gymnasium like canned sardines to watch their loved ones achieve this milestone.

It was a nice ceremony. The salutatorian and valedictorian speeches were very well done, but my butt still aches from the old wooden bench I was perched on for two hours. Funny how the body is less forgiving as you get older. My 9-year-old son sat right next to...