My Lonely City

So I was listening to the radio on my way to work on Friday. I know, I know; I should know better. It only puts me in a bad mood. But anyway, BobFM’s dumbass morning DJ #1 was being ripped to shreds by dumbass DJs #2 & 3, as well as various callers, because – wait for it – he took his daughter out of school for an afternoon to buy her a bicycle and spend some time with her.

“We don’t always get to do what we want,” a caller said. “There are things we have to do every day. We have to go to school every day; we have to go to work every day. And you’re telling her she doesn’t have to.” “The next thing you know,” said dumbass DJ #2, “she’ll be in middle school, shootin’ heroin and getting tattoos.”

So parents justify their decision to foist their children off to the seven-hour-per-day governmental babysitting and indoctrination service that is the public school system by telling themselves, repeatedly and with loud voices, that the schools have more of a right to their children’s time than they do. That, essentially, parents spending time – during the school day – with their children is actually doing them a disservice. As Austen says, how quick come the reasons for approving what we like.

In high school, I was captain of the academic team, I took all the advanced math courses that were offered, made straight As, attended college concurrently to get a head start, and was generally unslackerish. I graduated valedictorian , after I broke the school’s ACT score record when I was a junior. I went on to graduate from university magna cum laude. I’m not saying that school isn’t important.

Oh, wait. Yes I am. Drat. I’m miserable anyway. Oh, well.