Changes

My wife made an observation about something relative to our trip, the other day.  I think she's right.

The girl who had stayed with us now has a boyfriend.  Apparently, a serious boyfriend.  When they walk together, they stay close, and he'll frequently kiss her on the cheek.  The parents are a little concerned because the girl has gotten her first diploma, so, she could right now go out and get a job as an apprentice.

A side note:  in the French educational system, you can get multiple diplomas -- the first, for your apprentissage, certifies you as an apprentice; the second, the Brevet Professionel or the Baccalaureate Professionel, certifies you as a journeyman (the difference between the two depends on whether you spend more time as a worker than as a student, or the reverse), and the third, the Brevet de Technicien Superieur, certifies you as a qualified technician in your field.

Anyway, since she has that first diploma, she and this guy could decide that young love conquers all,  put her career -- well, perhaps not on hold, but certainly on delay - and go build a life together.  Her parents don't like that possibility, and so I don't like it. (I wouldn't if it were my daughter, and in my mind, she's still my daughter.)  But even without that, I just didn't like those shows of affection -- even the guarded gotta be careful, the parents are watching type - and I didn't know why.  Until my wife said:  you want her to keep being the sweet, innocent fifteen year old you knew four years ago.

Yeah.  That's it, exactly.