Salutations™!!

I don’t hold back when I have a “Proud Papa Moment” and this is one of those. So, if you’re not into the doting dad thing, then you may want to skip on this one.

Yesterday morning, at 5am, I took my son, 3B to the Career Center to grab a bus to head to Charlotte to Johnson & Wales University to compete in the state culinary arts competition. When I got to my mother’s house (where he was staying) to pick him up, he had already gotten himself up and was ready to go. That doesn’t happen often. Usually, it’s a fight to get him going. But, not this morning.

3B wearing his silver medal

He got on the bus and took the trip, competed and came home. He sent me a text at 230pm, on the trip back, and said “silver.” Silver is great! 2nd place, right!? Well, not exactly, but still… He said he would have done better had he not burned his hand. He was basically handicapped the whole second part of the competition. I say not exactly because there were eight teams. Three won silver and five won bronze. So, there was no gold but the team still kicked butt!

He had a kitchen towel over his hand to grab a pan of sweet potatoes but he adjusted his hand and the towel fell off right as he was grabbing the pan. So, yeah, he burned it.

I talked to his teacher, Chef Estep, and as he got off the bus, he pointed at 3B and nodded his head with a big grin. I asked if he did well and he said, oh yeah. Holding up his fingers showing about a half-inch gap said “this close to gold.”

Earlier, I had told Chef Travis Myers how he did and that if he stays on his path he should be really good at what he’s doing. Chef Travis said, “well, we’re building a lab to grow him,” speaking about the newly announced restaurant that he and Ryan Oberle are creating. I told Chef Estep about that and Chef Estep said, “he’s ahead for his age.” I’ve witnessed 3B in the kitchen and he really does know what he’s talking about.

When we got back home, I checked the mailbox and he had gotten a package from the National Society of High School Scholars and he gets to wear a golden cord and has a large diploma-like certificate stating that he has membership in it. He also has a golden medallion to wear, as well.

So, it was a good day for him and a good “daddy day” for me. I love this boy so much and am so proud of him. If he keeps straight, there really is no limit to his opportunities, especially with the contacts in this industry that I have here locally and the network the contacts have. He will go places if that’s what he wants to do. He has dreams and aspirations and I plan to help him get to those however I can but he has to put in the work.

Again, so proud of my boy!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“The university offers a wide variety of degrees, including Accounting, Fashion Merchandising & Retail Management, Equine Studies/Equine Business Management & Riding, Management, Marketing, Criminal Justice, Entrepreneurship, Hotel & Lodging Management, and Sports/Entertainment/Event Management. The Providence Downcity campus offers two- and four-year degree programs in areas of technology such as network engineering, electronics & robotics engineering, computer programming, biology, health science, and graphic design.” – Johnson & Wales University