Cool

Yesterday my 13 year old asked me if college was fun.  And I was like, "It was amazing!!"  He also asked me if I was "cool" or something like that.  And I was all, "No der! What else?"  And I went on to tell him a couple of "cool" stories during my college years to prove it.  And he was like, "Oh."  I don't think he was too impressed, and I had to wonder if I had convinced him.  As I was still thinking about it, I'm sure he had long since moved on.  In fact, I think he pretty much forgot that I went to college five minutes after the conversation ended.

So the next day while the kids were at school, I pulled out my college photo albums to see if I looked "cool" enough.  I found a picture of me and a friend with dental floss that had gone through our nose and out our mouth.  Pretty cool, but not good enough....  Then there's a picture of me working at Taco Time.  There's also one of me eating at Taco Time.  Oh, and there I am standing in front of Taco Time.  There's a picture that shows me eating and studying for a test at Taco Time.  How about the picture of me getting soda while making a funny face at Taco Time. There's the picture of me asking my boss for a raise at Taco Time.  There I am welcoming the new employee at Taco Time.  Oh there's the picture of me giving bunny ears to my co worker, ha ha (classic).  Or what about this one where I'm rolling my eyes at the rude customer...good times!  

So I'm starting to think I should edit my college album.  Maybe I could put together a "cool" one to show my kids.  I could definitely still use the fabric and lace covered album to make it look authentic.  But I don't have to include every picture, right?  A little less Taco Time perhaps?

And then a thought occurred to me.  Instead of showing my "cool" pictures, I could show the pictures of me being nice, or pictures of me making good choices in college?  Pictures of me with my arms around good friends.  Visiting home during the summer and reconnecting with the siblings I used to fight with:). Pictures that show I was not obsessed with the way I looked (I really didn't care in college and it was refreshing).  Pictures of me and my mom when she came to visit for a special "Women's Week" at college.  The picture of me and my friend next to the Wal-Mart greeter who was famous for his "Welcome."  A picture of a group of us in our church clothes after a lovely service.  And the picture of me eating and studying at Taco Time.

Was I "cool"?  I don't know.   Was college amazing?  Absolutely!  I'm glad my son asked about my college years.  And I actually don't really know if he asked me if I was "cool."  I'm pretty sure I just started talking about that because I was trying to prove something to my teenage son.  Maybe he really asked, "Did you make good choices?" while I was thinking about impressing him.  And I should have just left it at "No der!  What else?"