Song: FF 6 Prelude
(Prelude because this is just the beginning of Alex's magical journey in life).
Alex officially graduated from UC Berkeley
on December 17th 2022.
First a little background...
Alex had first entered university just after the 8th grade...
(although he could have gone in the 6th grade as his official SAT
at that time was hundreds of points higher than the average prospective student
entering the University of Nevada, Reno).
However, not only did we think he, as an elementary school age student...
to be too young at that time...
but Alex wanted to go to a middle school so he could participate
in Mathcounts. We had been homeschooling him prior to this.
(the national mathematics competition for middle schoolers)...
he made the State team in the 6th and 7th grade...
and in the 8th grade...
he not only made the Nationals...
but he won the Individual State Championship...
Number 1...
the goal he had set for himself...
and had achieved.
In the summer, just after 8th grade...
he was accepted into the University of Nevada, Reno.
It was at this point that we enrolled him into an online high school
so his high school schedule wouldn't interfere with his university schedule.
He took all the university math classes he could every semester...
including summer.
We also enrolled him in Mountain College for some other core courses
as they were in conflict with his math courses at UNR.
This allowed him to take multiple courses at the same time...
free from conflict with his UNR courses, as his math courses were his priority.
Not only were his math courses advanced enough...
but his grades in them were so high that almost all of his courses
from UNR and Mountain College were accepted at UC Berkeley...
(he only needed one more year's worth of a foreign language at UC Berkeley).
So...
by the time he entered UC Berkeley...
he was already considered a 3rd year student.
However...
instead of graduating 2 years early...
he wanted to continue at UC Berkeley so he could take
as many graduate courses as he could...
as well as to work on research, before he graduated.
And so...
last Saturday...
he graduated with Honors and Distinction...
as well as one of only 14 Phi Beta Kappas in his undergrad graduating class
of some 700+ students.
I arrived late on the Tuesday before his graduation.
My wife and I took a couple of sunset walks along the ocean walkway.
The top portion of one of the two towers from which the cables support the whole of the
Golden Gate Bridge is visible from this particular point of the ocean walkway.
A telephoto of the shot before this one.
A couple of days later...
Alex's last final at UC Berkeley finished at 10 PM on Thursday...
and we picked him up on campus.
On a previous final...
I believe it was in his Number Theory class...
he had gotten 100% on it...
and, of course, he had gotten an A in the class...
and he also did very well in his other courses.
He also thinks he did well in his last class.
And so...
we were just a couple of days away from his official graduation.
The day of his graduation...
we first walked to the famous gate at one of the entrances to UC Berkeley.
We then dropped off Alex at the graduating student's entrance...
and then walked back to the family's entrance.
Alex...
one of only 14 out of his graduating class to be accepted into
Phi Beta Kappa (The asterisk behind his name).
Many US Presidents were Phi Beta Kappa.
At first...
we couldn't locate Alex.
He could have been on either side of the auditorium.
My wife texted him and asked him to use the flashlight function on his phone...
and we located him.
He was on the left of us...in the front section...
fourth row up...
and third from the right.
My elder sister and her eldest son attended Alex's graduation with us.
Her eldest son, Christopher, graduated from UC Davis in Psychology
some years ago.
I use to baby sit him so many years ago.
He has grown into a fine young man.
He presently works in a very well known high tech company in the San Francisco Bay area.
I believe the golden cords signify his graduating with honors and distinction...
one for each.
He had to write a mathematical thesis as part of his mathematics honors program...
as well as some other criteria besides having to have a high GPA in his major...
and distinction because of his overall high GPA in all of his classes...
I think.
Anyway...
Alex is well on his way on his road to his future.
We are now awaiting replies from the graduate schools to which he had applied.
It could be another five months before the last of them reply.
We took BART back...
and then shortly afterwards...
we took the ferry to San Francisco for a celebratory
supper in honor of Alex.
My wife had found a restaurant near the San Francisco ferry building.
It was a Peruvian Seafood restaurant with good reviews.
Our ferry arrived.
We sat outside and had a beautiful ride to San Francisco.
My elder sister and her son with Alex.
We departed our ferry building.
You could see San Francisco on the far side of the bay.
My elder sister and her son went to the other side of the ferry to take some photos of San Francisco.
They then came back to our side...
as the ferry would shortly turn towards San Francisco and all the best views
were on our side.
This was the first time that either my elder sister or her son had taken this ferry.
In the future...
instead of driving to San Francisco...
my elder sister and her husband will just go to our ferry and cross the bay on it.
The sky took on a cherry glow.
Although these photos are out of focus and blurred...
I wanted to capture the cherry red skies.
I was handholding my camera while using the telephoto on a moving boat...
so...
We disembarked and walked but a few minutes to our destination.
At the restaurant.
The restaurant had great ambiance.
The taro chips came with this green dip.
I don't think it was guacamole...
but it was spicy and absolutely delicious.
The fries were perfectly done steak fries.
Alex had fish...
I think salmon.
I had this delicious prawn over shrimp rice with some kind of green sauce.
I had never before had anything like it.
It was so good.
My wife had two smaller dishes...
this one some kind of quinoa dish...
and the bottom one...
some kind of tuna sashimi dish.
Alex's salmon and prawn dish.
My wife and I shared a nice desert...
as did my sister and her son.
Alex got his own chocolate cake with some kind of gelato on the side.
We then walked to the photo pier next to our ferry pier
to take some night shots of the San Francisco skyline.
Alex taking some photos.
Chris and Alex on the freely rotating seats which lined the end of the pier.
The San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge is in the background.
There was a party boat which slowly followed the coastline of San Francisco.
The lower deck appeared to have a bar...
and the whole upper deck appeared to be a dance floor.
They were playing some kind of dance music as it passed by.
I was thinking as it passed by that they weren't playing one of the greatest dance songs ever...
Gonna Make You Sweat.
Any song that could make you feel like dancing like that one song...
is timeless.
I am sorry...
but any dance venue that doesn't feature that song...on a loop...
doesn't know great dance music :)
My sister's photo...
of me taking photos.
We then went to our boarding dock for our return ferry.
We are departing here.
I love the view of San Francisco at night.
It is still my favorite city in the world.
I just love to watch San Francisco recede into the night as the ferry speeds us back home.
We are nearing home here.
Our ferry in the background.
Our car was just a few second walk from here.
My elder sister and her son left shortly after our arrival back home.
On Sunday afternoon (my last day there)...
we headed out to eat at an Asian mall (a short 10 minute drive from home).
Flowers still bloom in the winter here.
We wanted to try a new Japanese restaurant there.
Alex ordered a sushi roll...
sashimi...
and a fried and spiced crab.
My wife and I shared shrimp tempura and takoyaki for our appetizer...
and we each had beef sukiyaki...
or what should have been :(
This was NOT sukiyaki.
There were NONE of the correct sauces.
As a matter of fact...
there was not the slightest hint of any Japanese flavoring.
(the restaurant was not owned by a Japanese person, or had a Japanese cook.
Had it been...this abomination would not have been served...
and what makes it worse is that not only is it easy to make...
all they have to do is to buy a Japanese cookbook...AND FOLLOW THE RECIPE).
However...
not even a ruined dish could put a damper on this day...
as I was still so happy for Alex.
His graduating from UC Berkeley with honors and distinction
made my whole trip so worthwhile.
___________________
Some photos my wife took while I was there:
My wife liked taking pictures of me taking pictures :)
------------------------
Now...
I very well know that I was very fortunate in life...
to not only have such a son as is Alex...
but to have a wife whom had dedicated her life to our son.
However...
our pursuing our path was not one of providence or mere great fortune.
I already knew from the beginning that a traditional family
(father earns a living...stay at home full time mother)...
would afford our offspring the best chance at a better life.
Neither of us would deviate from this path because
it was what was best for our son...Alex.
IT WAS SO WORTH IT.
To all young women...
not everyone should be a parent.
Perhaps motherhood is not for you.
If having a career is what is important to you...
do it.
This is not a denigration of non traditional families...
Some mothers must work...
this I fully realize.
I do not look down upon you.
Life is somewhat complicated...
but by design...
the traditional family cannot be beaten if it is possible to do so.
So...
if you can afford to do it...
having a full time stay at home mother is what is best for the child.
No one can do it better...
no one is more important to the children...
to society...
to our future as a civilization...
as is a full time mother...
(or even a full time stay at home father).
Alex's mother was the chief navigator of Alex's future.
Alex was, and is, the captain of his ship.
I was merely the builder of the sturdy ship from which
we would stay afloat and so...
be able to stay on course even in the worst of storms.
I, as a man, had built our ship from sturdy timbers
specifically so my family would not have to worry about our future.
It was from our sure and steady platform that my wife...
Alex's mother...
could perform her magic as a mother.
Her steady love and affection...
her unrelenting researching of the near and far objectives
to complete to reach the goal for Alex to achieve...
her constant support and teaching of the academic basics from
infant hood until I retired and could take over his basic subjects
while she did the deep research needed to ensure
Alex had the advanced material in math that we could not personally explain
(he had long before eclipsed our ability to teach him directly in math)...
as well as continuing to work on his organizational skills...
is what gave Alex such a head start...
upon and from which he would steadily grow.
And...
this is very important...
when it came to Alex...
my wife and I worked as a team.
What was best for his future...
we did.
We were...and are...
fully prepared to...
and fully willing and able to move to anywhere in the world
that would best serve Alex in the future.
Again...
I had prepared for this freedom early on.
That is why I stayed in my particular profession.
From near the beginning...
decades ago...
I looked at the future...
defined the goal...
considered all the major affecting variables...
including necessary provisions...
time to destination...
time left over...
necessary objectives...
and how to effect the desired result.
I had to choose the more sure route...
and in doing so...
I had to forego mere immediate personal passions
and satisfactions in a profession.
I took the more slow and steady approach...
but one which had given freedom much earlier (early retirement)...
and very little risk of losing a job (a necessary governmental job)...
and one which had a fairly high salary as well as a high salary in retirement.
To all young men...
never forget...
the first two steps of Maslow's hierarchy of needs
(sustenance, safety and security...economically as well as physically)...
is OUR sacred responsibility.
This is the responsibility of men in a traditional marriage.
We cannot blame women for not fulfilling their roles
if we do not fulfill ours.
That is why so many decades ago...
I had chosen to forego a profession of great adventure...
for one which I knew would serve my potential future family best.
I knew I didn't have to love it...
hell...
I knew I didn't even have to like it...
but...
I knew I had to do it.
(This one gem of advice I had learned in the Army
from a battle hardened NCO...You don't have to like it...you just have to do it.)
It wasn't just his gruff and graveled voice and his hardened look
that hit me to the core...
it was his stoic outlook which made me admire him.
It was the combat battle hardened non commissioned officers that I learned the most from
when I first arrived in my permanent unit when I was just 17 years old.
It was from them that I had gotten so many gems of wisdom.)
But...
I also knew that enjoyment of what you must do...
is the intelligent thing to do...
as without the reframing of your perspective...
life would be filled with dread and drudgery.
So...
it was this path...
the surer path of economic safety and security for my future family that
I had decided to not only do the necessary...
but I had decided to enjoy myself along the way.
And...
yes...
IT WAS ALL WORTH IT.
I AM SO PROUD OF MY SON, ALEX.
BUT...
I am also filled with deep respect and gratitude towards my wife...
the stay at home mother who had made all the difference in our son's life.
Once again...
she was...
and is...
not only the chief navigator of Alex's path in life...
but she is steadily teaching him the art of navigation...
so he may fully steer his life...
and hopefully later...
be able to teach his children how to fully captain their ships...
but then again...
if he chooses wisely...
his future wife will become their family's chief navigator.
But what will make Alex's life so much better than even mine
is that he is not only building a sturdy ship for his future family...
he will be living his life's passion at the same time.
It simply doesn't get any better than this.