Empty Nest? No Thanks

WRITTEN BY TOBY NIX

I wasn't born and raised in Coweta County, but if I were, I'd say that Coweta has been on the business end of "move" for several decades.

It's what happens when you have a nice community. Families and businesses move to nice communities. It's what I did.

This issue's theme is "Coweta on the Move" with stories ranging from moving fast on bikes to moving into retirement communities.

One look at my physique is enough to tell you that I don't have enough knowledge or experience to write anything about bike races. Although, one of the most fun days I've had in recent years was last year when they shut Newnan's court square for the bike races. You can bet I was there this year as well.

My bank account, mixed with my family's average lifespan, suggests that I'll never retire, so there's no real point in writing about that.

I'll write about the one theme I can relate to: empty nests.

One of my kids has already flown the coop, with the youngest getting a steady stream of college invitation mail delivered to the old homestead weekly.

I don't know how the birds do it. Maybe they push the little chick out of the nest when they know it can fly. It's probably what's best for the younger bird.

I can tell you that this old bird was perfectly content with his hatchlings staying in the nest for as long as they wanted. It wasn't that I don't think my kids can fly. I think they would both be greatly limiting themselves if they ever set out to be like me.

It's just that I kind of like having them around, and I'm not even talking about the free labor that offspring provide while they're living under your roof. I just like their company. They're funny. They're good people. They're kind of like their dear ol' dad, if you ask me.

My dream was to have at least 20 acres. When the kids were ready to embark on their own things, I'd be able to offer them five each to build their homes. I would love to refer to my little spot on this planet as the ol' compound rather than the ol' homestead. I was unable to fulfill that wish.

I didn't grow up thinking about having a nest. But once I got some baby birds in my nest, I never looked forward to it someday being empty.

I'm sure there are nice things that will come from an empty nest, I just don't know what they are. And as long as I keep throwing away all these college applications before my daughter sees them, maybe I won't have to find out.

Just kidding! I'm actually quite proud of the list of schools expressing interest. They are all colleges who would have taken one look at my transcripts and assumed I was pranking them. NCM