Old head and young shoulders

I have just accompanied my daughter on a trip to view a potential university! I mean it already is a university where she is considering becoming a student! It took me back to when I went to university all those many moons ago when we used libraries full of books, microfiche readers (remember those anyone?), card indexes, journals in stacks and those film readers for newspapers and other documents! We never saw a computer in a library in those days and to use one in the university at all you had to have a proper user name and log on to the 'mainframe' for which there was always a queue.

I spent many happy hours looking for books which someone else had beaten me to borrowing, or in perusing journals before writing copious notes. University life was exciting. It was the first chance to stand on one's own two feet, to be responsible for one's own life, actions, food preparation and even washing! I learnt about the subject I was studying which would set me up in work (well that was the plan) for the rest of my life and also social and interpersonal skills! It was a hugely important experience and set me up for an independent future.

I found myself checking out the toilet facilities as my own late mother did for me (and which my English teacher reliably informed me her mother had done for her when she had gone to uni too!) because it's what we do isn't it? I found myself silently tutting over leaky pipes and damp patches. I had to know if this place was going to be good enough for MY daughter, who naturally is far too good for them! 

I know she will enjoy this, she will come of age, learn to look after herself and not need me anymore! So of course, it has to be exactly right. Only now do I truly understand why my Mum did this too. It's a dramatic and life changing time for us both and soon nothing will ever be the same again. It is a physical manifestation of this change, the last time I can inspect before my 'little girl' is gone for good and is her own boss and in charge of her own life and choices. I'm not sure I'm ready or ever will be. I am certain this has come around far too fast as I now appreciate it did for my Mum too. I know I'm not the first and I won't be the last who feels this way but it has to be as perfect as possible for both our sakes and the future beckons to us.