Buckaroo's Big-Time Win

Buckaroo age 3.
 

Buckaroo has had some er... "life challenges" of late. He is 18, smart, clever, head-strong (obviously from his father's side of the family), snarky (also obviously from his father's side of the family) and opinionated (and obviously from his father's side of the family). When I was a teenager, my mother would growl, "Someday you have a child just like you!" Dang! She wasn't kidding. 

Anyway, the last several months have been tough for dear Buckaroo. Even without the pandemic in place, life has thrown that kid some curve balls. Sometimes he swung, sometimes he didn't. The ending result was a zero self-esteem and even more head-strong, snark and opinions from this super-smart, now angry kid. There have been many times I have just shaken my head, thinking about how karma is a bitch. I earned this. Buck didn't. 

Anyway, the week after Christmas, I challenged Buckaroo to find a job before New Year's. And he did! While filling out the application for one company, he had to take a small placement test and when he passed, he was thrilled. Passing that placement test opened up a new web page, allowing him to apply for any job listed. He scrolled through the list and was about to click on one when I said, "Woah! You may want to see where that job is located before you apply." And with the wisdom of a young adult without a fully developed frontal lobe and with the animosity that comes with having a parent who is just like him, the kid clicked on the first job he found. 

He was hired for the 83rd Avenue and Buckeye location of this particular company. For anyone who may be reading this, who might not be familiar with me or the Phoenix metro area. That's 30.8 miles from my home. And of course, his job is 7:15 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. four days a week. 

I am so happy for him and so proud of his tenacity. As a mother, I'm also relieved. Buckaroo got a life win he so desperately needed. Someone wanted him! A job! He could buy that suit of armor he's been eyeing and the mustang (hopefully the car, not the horse--but one can never be too sure with that guy) he wants.  His mood since he was hired has been amazing. He's been helpful, loving and in such a better frame of mind. He is the dear, sweet boy that reminds me more and more of the man I know as his father and less of me as a teenager. I love this guy! 

There are challenges with this new job. Mainly, he really isn't ready to drive in Phoenix rush hour. Though he has his license, it is obvious he isn't ready. Today I drove him and somewhere around downtown he said, "Wow, I didn't realize what you meant by 'heavy traffic'." Yea... I know. And that wasn't the heaviest we saw. 

There is one school of thought to let him try driving it and see how it goes. Though I'm open for it, the last few months with Buckaroo have taught me sometimes it is better to take things a bit slower. Plus, we nearly got killed by a crazy driver this morning and even Buckaroo admitted he wouldn't have been able to avoid the accident the way I did. 

For the near future, I am making the morning drives, Marty has agreed to make the afternoon pick-ups. I keep thinking, "This is great! I can go see my dad for breakfast on the mornings I drop him off," (which is another 16 miles north, then 45 miles back to my house). It also comes with me promising to say to him every day until he transfers to the location five miles from our home, "You need to see what it will take to transfer to the location FIVE MILES from our home!!!!"

There are also some rewards. Other than the suit of armor and the mustang for him, I've reaped the benefits. Buckaroo was chatty today. I love it when he opens up and just talks to me about anything and everything. He told me about his dreams and what his future plans are (signing up for a class at the college and getting his high school diploma soon) as well as how now that he has disposable income he might see about dating. 

That's fine, but she better live closer to our side of town.