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<p>I know many “successful” people who did indeed do LSD back in the day: scientists, dentists, engineers, actuaries, financial pros, nurses, professors, pr execs, et al.</p>
<p>I would certainly agree that expecting your kid to be the next Steve Jobs because s/he drops out of school and engages in various forms of exploration is foolish. On the other hand, expecting your kid to be the next Steve Jobs because s/he keeps her nose to the grindstone in some form of “engineering” is equally foolish.</p>
<p>The problem with this kid originally was not that he took off on a little trip, but that he failed to respond to calls from his family in the manner to which they were accustomed. I would venture to guess that if he had simply called them back or sent them an email all of this hysteria would have been avoided. What he did was the equivalent of going to Woodstock or a march on Washington. I recall going to Washington for several days on at least one occasion, and I doubt that I told my parents. I, for one, fully sympathize with his desire to have “been there”–at least for a few days–at what may turn out to be one of the seminal events of his generation. What is new is the expectation of parents that their college-age kids will be in constant communication.</p>
<p>If I reported my S as missing every time I didn’t hear from him for 3 weeks and it took me a number of tries to get a callback, I’d be making a permanent nest in the ear of the local police. S has me well-trained re lowered expectations, so that when he DOES respond promptly I am pleasantly surprised. :)</p>