Friday, February 14, 2020

The Senior Picture

A picture of a picture (Prestige Photography by Lifetouch)
I got a wallet-size picture of Sean's senior portrait tonight.

My son turns 18 next Sunday.

For the record, I almost definitely will not see him. Yes, another byproduct of how being a single father (single parent) can blow.

There are the lost birthdays and some other holidays and the doctors appointments that you don't hear about and other things that go on without your knowledge.

There are also lost school pictures in which I might get a small copy that I then take a picture of with my iPhone.

And, to be perfectly fair, some of that falls actually on Sean on this point. He's nearly 18, and we did a reset on communication a few years ago so that it was between father and son. Sometimes, there are miscommunications. It happens.

To be quite clear, I mostly blame myself for things. Lest there be any confusion in what I'm writing here. Further -- I'm grateful I got a picture. Any size picture.

But, like I said, I got a wallet-size picture.

Why, you ask?

For months -- I mean, literally months, I've been asking for any information on senior pictures. Mostly, I wanted to know how to order the blasted things.

I mean, it's one thing to not have certain years, but come on, this is the big one. The LAST one.

My mother even tried.

I've been on the high school website. No info on even who the photography company is.

Not until tonight, when I saw how Prestige had to have their watermark in the lower right corner.

OK. Prestige. Let's do this!

I went to their website. Hmmm...enter a code. OK, I don't have one. Asking Sean if he knows the code is not fruitful. He had that code months ago, no doubt, if he ever had it at all.

Oh. Wait! They say I can enter a state and city! Awesome! The townspeople cry, "We're saved!"

So, I entered New York ("duh" -- Billie Eilish) and East Fishkill (for John Jay-East Fishkill).

Strike one.

Wappingers Falls! Yes, they're part of the Wappingers School District!

Strike two.

I know! Their address is Hopewell Junction!

Strike three.

(OK, I'll shorten it to Hopewell Jct. Yep. Strike three-and-a-half)

So, there's a phone number that I can get a run-around with next week, and I have a strong suspicion how this is going to turn out.

It's safe to say I'm disappointed, mostly in myself because I apparently didn't push the topic enough, so I'll take the blame.

But -- dammit -- my son is a senior. Is it THAT DIFFICULT to get a large framed picture to remember this final stage of his high school years by? His cousins and other loved ones might like a copy.

I've got four wallet-size photos. I'm grateful for those.

In a separate school story, Sean is content with his choice of college and has been accepted. He is staying local (like his father did). I want him to be happy with school so, while I personally wanted him to dig around a little more with four-year schools (and he had people willing to talk with him about it), I'm fine with him starting at Dutchess Community College.

He's his own person and I'm proud of him.

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