I was deeply upset when I missed Robert’s graduation last year, but there was so much angst and animosity surrounding my separation from Elaine I just wasn’t welcome. At the time I tried to make up for it by helping out with Graduation at work, it didn’t really help and I felt very depressed.
So it was great to be able to go to Keith’s graduation and good that Robert could be there too. Because Robert couldn’t stay for the official photographs Elaine and I took some of the three of us. Someone offered to take a picture of us all, but Elaine said no thanks. I think that was a shame, and it was a pity she wouldn’t agree to an official picture of the three of us.
Elaine has yet to come to terms with the fact that we are all still part of a family no matter what has transpired between us. We will need to work together on family issues at some point, and the sooner we adapt to that the better. I guess this might change slowly over time. we’ll see. However, I think it will be a shame that in 20 year’s time when Keith looks back at the day, that there isn’t a picture of us all together. We were all there. Maybe if Elaine had left me, I’d be reluctant to let her rejoin the family. I guess I’m just a delusional optimist to expect the family to be able to function again.
One of the advantages of being on the staff and involved in Graduation at Southampton was that I was able to get front-row seats for the ceremony. The disadvantage of having your son as a student at the university where you are working is that every now and then I’d get back to my car and discover it was filled with washing that needed to be done.
Copyright © 2008 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.