Stains on my notebook

I bump into an old colleague from another life. We've not seen each other for years; I have the sense not to tell her she looks stunning. We got talking and I asked after her family. She was extremely worried about her eldest:

"He's dropped out of uni. and become a beach bum. He's spending all his time windsurfing. We're at our wits end."

"Is he happy?" I asked.

"Deliriously so," she replied bitterly.

"The world's full of sad middle-aged men who were going to change the world," I reminded her.

I'm glad I didn't give her a hug.