Skip to main content

So What?

I'm having a "so what?" kind of morning. Maybe it's because of the time change and the overwhelming feeling that the light is receding. Or maybe it's the knowledge that my letter to the county council and county executive about Oakland Mills Village Board leadership was so clearly unsuccessful. Then there's the ongoing mold issues at Glenwood Middle that are still making some students and staff very sick. Or the long talk I had with my daughter last night about how dreary the "high school life" is turning out to be.

Just a little too much unpleasantness in a few too many areas.

A high point: yesterday's post by Tom Coale on HoCoRising. Entitled "364 Days", it looks back on the last year since the election with a wise and beautiful sense of perspective. As someone who ran for office and lost, I identify strongly with the sentiments he expresses. Worth the read. (And a special first birthday shout out to the Darling of Dorsey's Search.)

"So what?" is a defense against being let down or disappointed. If you don't care you can't get hurt. It's also quite paralyzing. If you don't care, then what's the point? In the Peanuts comic strip Linus used to go to an empty lot and throw rocks which he was angry or frustrated. He gave each rock a purpose:

  • "This is for the kid who pushed me in line."
  • "This is for the teacher who assigned a book report over the winter vacation."
  • This is for the big kid who laughed at my blanket."

Maybe I need to go throw some rocks.

In the meantime, this is some mood music for the day.

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Teacher Gifts

Today is the last day of school before the Winter Break. It’s a good time to remember the far-reaching nature of our public school system. You may not have children. You may have sent your children to independent schools. It matters not. You will be impacted one way or another. Yesterday I read a long thread on Facebook about several waves of illness in the schools right now. There’s influenza A and norovirus, I believe. And of course there’s COVID. Apparently in some individual schools the rate of illness is high enough for school admin to notify parents.  When I was little the acceptable holiday gift for a teacher was one of those lovely floral handkerchief squares. (I don’t know what it was for male teachers. They were rare in my elementary years.) These days the range of teacher gifts is wider and I have fond memories of Target gift cards which I have written about before. I think it’s safe to say that giving one’s teacher Influenza, norovirus, or COVID is not the ideal holiday...
1 comment
Read more

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else.  Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not  chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...
1 comment
Read more

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday.  Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was  "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018.  2018 .  But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest.  In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...
1 comment
Read more