Schoolhouse Diaries 1

 How is this okay? 

Remember last March when we all looked around to one another, anxious for acknowledgement that surely after a few weeks, we would move back to “normal?” The angsty plea in our eyes, searching for validation from whomever would give it to us? Who can forget, as much as we try, those long, long, looooonnnnnggg first few weeks, the days dripping by slower than molasses? One endless afternoon merging into the next, after we proclaimed each morning…that’s it? You’re already done with school? It’s 9:30. In the morning. 

Remember how we went from…okay…three weeks. I can handle three weeks. We’ve got Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime for god sakes. And then it slipped into…okay…maybe May? That feels far away. Maybe I should buy some more board games to make everyone hate me just a little more.  And then it was…oh…okay. So we’re not going back to school. So I just gotta get through the summer. We can make it through the summer.

And all along…September was just in the wings, waiting for his light, to deliver his message: Here. Hold my beer. 

And now here I am, sitting in my house, listening to Son in band class and Daughter in gym class, the musical scales pairing nicely with the thud thud thud of jumping jacks I’m guessing. I would go look, but I don’t want to. Why purposely place myself in a position where surely I’ll either be yelled at or dismissed with an eye roll? I’m supposed to be doing the yelling and the eye rolling but instead here I am, tip-toeing around my house so as not to disturb The Zooms, dreaming about the days I used to be able to just plop down at the bookstore with a coffee and my computer and my headphones and not be bothered while I try and tap out a few thoughts. Instead here I am, hiding in my bedroom, drinking water because I already drained the coffeepot, taking a defiant stance against my chores in favor of trying to tap out a few thoughts, only to be interrupted by Daughter, who wants lunch and when I question her Zoom whereabouts she simply confesses that her teacher is babbling on and on about earthquakes and she’s not missing anything. 

Except she’s missing everything. 

We’re failing our kids. 

I don’t know why this is okay.

It’s as if we’ve wrapped our kids in red tape, concerned less about their mental health and education and more about if we get to watch Monday Night Football. We’ve figured out a way to dine outside, but not educate outside. These young humans are the future leaders of our nation and we can’t be bothered to figure out a way to keep them in school? I know most educators every where are busting their asses but if every other industry can find a way to think outside the box why can’t our schools? You can go to a f*ing soul cycle class! YOU CAN GO TO A F*ING SOUL CYLCE CLASS. 

How is this okay?