The Young Negotiator is Turning 18!

 Bloody Hell!  Next week the Young Negotiator turns 18!!!  This time 18 years ago I was the size of a small house, couldn't fit behind the steering wheel of the car and was snarling at people who insisted on saying to me "Oh, you haven't had the baby yet?!" every time they saw me.

He was such a great lump of a baby, huge.  He then became a very small child and didn't start to catch up with his peers until half way through Year 9.  Now he is a gangly youth with pale whiskers and unruly hair (well, he always had the unruly hair).

This is the Young Negotiator's last year at high school.  Double bloody hell!  My baby is all grown but he still doesn't mind his mother's hugs and kisses.  He can run but he can't hide.

Some Interesting Facts About Our Boy

• Although able to talk well, he chose not to say very much until the age of 3.  And then he made up for lost time.
• Once he started talking was often mistaken for an American.  We blame his fascination with Sesame Street at an early age for his mild accent. 
• When little he had a fascination with wearing a small bucket on his head and wielding a large broom, hence "Mr Bucket Head" was born.
• At school was lacking in concentration and working ethics but somehow absorbed the information through the air and knew his stuff.
• First pair of glasses happen to be round and for years was told he looked like Harry Potter.
• Huge fan of Harry Potter and read the books more than once.
• Nick-name at Scouts and early High School - Harry.
• Was mistaken for Harry Potter in McDonalds by small boy one day when Young Negotiator was about 13.
• Next pair of glasses were not round.
• Not a risk taker.  Felt justified when his mother tried to get him to climb a tree and the first branch she grabbed had ruddy great thorns on it. (Smarty pants).
• Took up karate for a while with inspiration from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
• Took up cricket for three games, hated it (thank you God!).
• Took up hockey at 9 and has been playing ever since. He was unaware that his mother had played and also his grandmother.
• At age 6 was caught trying to pull his teeth out so tooth fairy would leave him enough money to buy Buzz Lightyear.
• Is a gentle soul but sufficiently stubborn not be pressured into anything that makes him uncomfortable.

Our Young Negotiator knows not what he will do when he leaves school.  A gap year is in order to work, live and think about what he wants to do with his life.  I can see a lot of young people have a hard lesson to learn about money when they leave school.  Such high hopes for leaving home, buying a car and somehow being able to afford all this and more and the Young Negotiator is no different.   Occasionally teenagers do seek advice, sometimes they don't know everything but not often.  It is nice to be able to offer advice/answers when the mood takes them, even if it is to ask if we have any grated cheese.

Good luck my son.  We will be here for you whenever you need us.  Go out and grab that first thorny branch, say a bad word, bleed, feel the dent to your pride and ideals.... oh that's right, I am supposed to be talking about him not me.  Hmm, well, umm, I am all out really.