Wednesday, March 17, 2011

There are times when things get so bizarre that one has no choice but to stand in awe of how strange they are. Attending our son’s high school open house this evening proved to be one of those occasions.

Our son has been having difficulty with one particular teacher the entire school year. And the stories we hear him share daily have had us concerned. So neither my husband nor I wanted to miss the opportunity to see this teacher face-to-face.

Arriving in the classroom, we introduced ourselves and then things got…well…they went drastically downhill from there. The teacher, having just introduced herself, then turned her back to us, saying, “Just a minute.”

We couldn’t quite tell what she was doing, but I swear, if I hadn’t known she was human, I might have wondered if she was a cat, coughing up a hairball. She remained turned away from us for at least a full minute. Long enough for my husband to begin shuffling his feet and wonder if we should leave and for my son to try his darnedest to not crack up. Seeing him lose his battle, I nudged our son, fearful that if he lost it, we’d all start laughing. I mean, really, there we were, standing, looking at the teacher’s back as she, I swear, was going through the motions of what appeared to be pulling the world’s longest hair out of her mouth, despite her hair not falling below her shoulders.

Ew!

It’s at times like these that you just want to quietly creep away, hoping to not be noticed. But, we stood our ground and eventually the teacher did turn back around. We asked how our son was doing in her class. Not that we didn’t already know—he’s a straight A student with a few A+’s thrown in for good measure.

But this particular teacher is one of those who’s beyond negative, literally unable to see any good in folks. So she proceeded to tell us how he wasn’t applying himself enough.

What? He’s a straight A student! What more does she want?

As if to prove her point, she brought up the project he’d just turned in. Well, the one he’d tried to hand in on Monday, but that she refused to accept, having decided to change the requirements. Over half the class’s projects were rejected, the students being told to make the corrections and then turn them in the following day for a significantly lower grade.

What?! That’s not right!

Anyhow, my husband and I stood there and listened to the teacher spew her venom, allowing her just enough rope to hang herself with before we commented that our son had followed the instructions as outlined in the syllabus and should have had his project accepted by her.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

It’s hard to imagine that as we sit here all snug and happy, there are folks in Japan whose lives have been turned upside-down and inside out. As we go on with our creature comforts, a mass majority there has none. It really is sobering.

And then tonight, I learned that the massive quake in Japan actually moved it—the entire country—thirteen feet closer to us. Thirteen feet? Thirteen feet! How! My mind can’t even fathom how that’s possible and that there’s not more damage as a result.

I mean really, countries don’t move. At least not entire ones…all at once. Well, they’re not supposed to, anyhow. And so I find myself sting here contemplating that. Trying to wrap my mid around a concept that’s so implausible yet has happened. And frankly, my brain is rejecting the idea.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

I’m at a loss of what to write about today. I mean, its’ not every day that follows a tsunami warning here along the west coast, us having dodged that bullet. And yet, when I watch the news, which has been running consistently in my house today, I feel almost guilty to be glad that we were spared while so many weren’t.

And then there’s the whole nuclear meltdown potential. Depending on whom you listen to, there either is or isn’t a threat of such. But hearing that officials have been steadily pumping in ocean water to cool the reactors does raise the anxiety level.

Couple all of that with the reality that there are still aftershocks occurring in Japan, some of which could create another tsunami.

I suppose it’s never a dull day in the world we live. We’ve just settled down from the upheaval in Egypt, and then all of this happened…well…is continuing to unfold. I wonder for how long? How many more lives will be lost? How many more disasters will be the result? And lawd, I pray that a nuclear meltdown isn’t amongst them. Not that folks are truly ever prepared for any disaster, but that—a nuclear meltdown…no, I can’t even imagine. Don’t want to let my mind ponder the possibilities.

It is my truest hope that whatever catalyst set these events in motion will soon right itself, restoring order to the chaos that surrounds so many—my heart going out to each and every one of them.

Friday, March 11, 2011

TGIF!!!!!!!!!

This has been one of those weeks. You know the kind, the ones that keep you on your toes each and every day, wondering, yet trying to avoid asking, what might happen next. So, when I awoke this morning, I was thrilled it was Friday. But…that excitement lasted all of about five minutes before I was made aware of the impending tsunami.

A tsunami? Really? Are you kidding? Here? Now? Today? What the heck!

Normally, I’m the type that heads straight for the coffee pot upon waking. I don’t make detours on my way there, and if there are obstacles in my path, I either push them aside or roll over them, intent on my goal—coffee. But…today’s little wake up call did the unthinkable. It actually derailed my mind from thinking of a nice soothing mug of coffee as I sat and watched the news, images from the tsunami first touching down in Japan filling the screen and forcing my mind wide awake.

So, like many others, I kept a keen ear open to the news and predicted path of the tsunami. I knew I wouldn’t end up with sudden beachfront property—too far inland. But I have countless friends and family who do live close enough to the shore that would have been affected, not the least of which is my oldest son. So my anxiety level was raised.

By mid morning, though I was thrilled to learn that the tsunami had deviated from its original path, sparing us on the west coast, my heart went out to those who had been affected and were still in the intended path.

Waking up this morning to the news of the tsunami felt a lot like years back when I awoke to the watch the horrific Challenger explosion and then a number of years later to the Twin Towers disaster. All these events got my mind working on hyper high alert in less than a blink. But I’ve got to admit, personally, I prefer waking at a little slower pace, a nice hot mug of coffee in my hand—without it trembling. So…tomorrow, I’m hoping for a little calmer awakening.