The Hulk

December 20, 2005

To Oldest Step-Daughter:

I'm thinking a lot about you tonight and about where you are in life right now - your growth and maturity process - and I keep thinking of that ride (that I opted not to go on!) at Universal Studios, "The Hulk."

I think about The Hulk and the transformation process that he goes through (and I can't help but notice how it always seems like it's a painful process for him!). And I can't help but think of you as a young teenager - a "new teen," age 14, and how you are like The Hulk character where his clothes are beginning to rip and tear, the buttons to pop.  And everyone around you is maybe uncertain, maybe even acting freaked out and scared, or at least uncertain.

And this - this is how it is - how it is to be a teenager.

This last week (on vacation with Fiance and the kids in Florida) was a really good crash course in adolescent behavior and in living with it.

Thoughts on marriage:

 It seems like so many people in our society "commit" "marriage" everyday, and really, what does it really seem to mean to any of them? They don't stick with it, don't follow through.  I am extremely hesitant about marriage right now. But I guess I would like to approach marriage more like my fourth time on the Aerosmith rollercoaster at Disney/MGM, rather than like how I approached it my first time.  My first ride, I cried out "Oh My GOD!!!" and then had to completely focus on my breathing and was close to panic-stricken-neurotic-overstimulated tears at the end of the ride.  By the fourth time, however, I knew what to expect, knew I could handle it, was prepared, had the resources to do it successfully. And I loved nearly every minute of it!

That's how I would like to be and feel for marriage.