Better Things To Do

Summer 2001 - Campbell Family
Micah is 41, Karinna is 40, Jules is 17, Wyatt is 16
Narrated by Micah Campbell

 It's taking me a while to adjust to being a grandfather. Karinna and I waited a very long time to have a second child, and taking care of my own newborn, Bennett, while at the same time taking care of Dalton, my grandson. The boys will be raised more like brothers than uncle and nephew.








                                                                                                                                                     


Karinna went back to work and Jules has been meeting with a tutor, so I've been playing stay-at-home-Dad. It's been difficult trying to do that and still run the arcade. I've been wearing myself out.

I finally broke down and realized I was going to have to hire some additional help down at Arcadia, so I'm looking to hire some teenager around town who needs the extra cash. Karinna thinks we should sell the place. It's not that it isn't successful. Business has been great, but with Karinna's doctor salary we don't really need the extra income. Opening Arcadia was always my dream, though, and I'm not ready to give up on that, after twelve years running it.

Jules and I got into a huge fight. She was thinking about dropping out of high school and just joining the workforce so she didn't have to leave Dalton behind. I tried to explain that it's hard enough to find a job after University, let alone without a high school diploma. I kind of lost my temper with her.

I was worried I was too hard on her, but I've noticed she's been actually studying instead of trying to convince the tutor to skip out early. She usually says things to him like, "You know there's a beach party going on right now, right?"

One thing I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing Wyatt strolling into my house and picking up my grandson. He comes over at least three times a week and holds him, changes him, feeds him. The protective dad in me wants to ring his neck, but I'm really impressed that he plans to be such a big part of Dalton's life.

Wyatt even asked me for permission to ask Jules' hand in marriage. I laughed at first, before I realized this kid was serious. I had to give the kid credit, that took a lot of guts. I told him no, though. He was pretty upset, but I tried to explain that Jules will be going off to college after this year, and neither of them knows where they will end up in a few years.

Just because they made a mistake doesn't mean they need to jump into a marriage right now. They're just kids.