This past weekend I went “home” to Boone, North Carolina to see the littlest Gentile, Nicholas, graduate from high-school. As you can see from the picture attached, he was REALLY thrilled about graduating.
Because I am 11 years older than Nicholas, I still see him as a helpless baby, and watching him walk across the stage in his cap and gown was very surreal. It made me realize that not only is my little brother growing up, but my family is growing up as well. It’s time for a new chapter in all of our lives. My parents are old bags, my sister is an old bag, and I am officially an old bag.
Looking around the auditorium, I also realized that the way Nicholas grew up in Boone, NC was very different than than the way I grew up in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. I lived in a city with a lot of Jews and a bit more diversity. Nicholas was definitely the only Jew at his graduation, and his last name is GENTILE so it doesn’t even really count. I only saw one black student, two Hispanics, and one ethnically ambiguous kid. Of the nine people who made speeches, all nine of them mentioned faith, four of them mentioned god, and one of them flat-out said, “When in doubt, follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.” Yup, just a little bit different than growing up near Boca Raton, FL. I am proud that my brother is open-minded and educated, and I hope that in college he’ll realize that there are many other people in the world like him who aren’t toothless hillbillies and who believe gay people should marry. Shizam!
Overall, the trip was bittersweet. It was nice to be with my sister and my parents and share such a big moment together, but my brother is going through a “too cool for school” phase, and I miss the old him. I miss how close we were and how great he once thought I was. I hope that in his next chapter at FSU he grows up a bit, has some awesome (but safe!) adventures, and that we find the bond we once had when he was little and cute and didn’t smell like a dirty teenage boy.
Lindsey Gentile is an actor, writer, comedienne, and all-around gal-about-town. Every Thursday, she reports from the front lines of single life in NYC. Check out her website HERE. Need more Big City Siren? No problem.
