2 + 2 = It Was the Worst of Times

    I want you all to look something that I think came from a grade school (first grade?) text book of some sort...

    You know I am no educator.  That would be hilarious and horrifying. 

    I call your attention to two items.  "Math drawings" and "make true number sentences."  ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!?!  Sorry...saw a bright light there for a second.

    Has it come to this?  Have we abandoned all semblance of common sense?  Have our children become so unable to absorb information that we need to twist and contort and massage all data that is presented to them so that little Johnny doesn't get overwhelmed?  

    I'm an old head, there's no denying it these days.  And I don't like going to the "back in my day" well too often.  But in this instance it's completely on point.  If I would have suggested anything even akin to a true number sentence to Mr. Adams back at BCS, I would have been laughed out of the classroom, by him and my classmates.  I can't even believe I've written the phrase "number sentence" twice now.  I need to wash my hands.

    I understand this is probably part of some holistic teaching structure that is better for the children's psyche.  Or a branch of the whole new math craze that my boys had to deal with through their time in school.  And I'm sure on some level it could, possibly, with the perfect curriculum, on a breezy afternoon, work better than good ole fashion "here is math...learn."  But it just feels pandering to the kids.  Hell, it feels pandering to me and I only had to copy and paste the picture.

    You know that I feel like the world is bowing down all too much to the precious little tykes these days.  Not enough life lessons being learned in any way that'll stick.  And feels like this is just another in a long line.  What's wrong with ;just presenting the info we have and having little Sally absorb it directly?  God forbid she gets confused and have to ask a question or two.  Or maybe even have to work a bit harder to understand a lesson.  

    I don't necessarily want it to be harder than needed for our kids to learn.  But this is just on small part of an overall whole that contribute to the wussification of America.  But I suppose if it's going to happen, might as well start them on the road to weakness as early as possible. 

Tired of the Lesser of Two Evils

When did the change happen?  When did the men we have chosen to lead this great nation (and I do think it’s still great) become guys just looking to have the most powerful job in the world?  I want to have a president that I truly feel is in that spot because of a passion to move America forward, or a selfless calling to better the nation and its people.

Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt

Johnson, Bush, Bush, Trump

If you see no difference in the two lists above, please stop reading.  I can’t relate to you and you won’t want to hear what I have to say.

When the men in the first list were in power they used their position with an eye toward the future.  Not just their future, but of time they would never see.  Because there is a higher purpose to what they asked to be a part of.  Hell, wasn’t it Washington’s idea that the president shouldn’t have as much power that the position assumed?  Didn’t he put forth the idea that the president have limited time in office?  Ask yourself...Does Donald Trump think he has too much power? Did George Bush think he deserved more than two terms?

Even the people who we did NOT choose for public service over the last so many decades have not made voting a good experience.  Mitt Romney and Hilary Clinton?  Come on.

I’m sick of going into the voting booth with a heavy sigh.  It just doesn’t feel good.  I miss being able to actually feel some energy about the ascendency of a new president.  Has it become that difficult for someone to be in politics without seeing it as merely a powerful, high paying gig?  Have we become a people so devoid of selflessness, that anyone that would truly fit the bill is relegated to charity work or fundraising?  Don’t judge that last thought...I’m not denigrating those vocations at all, just making a point.

I suppose it’s just a pipe dream.  I suppose it’s merely a sign of the times.  But that doesn’t mean I have to accept it.  Call me an old soul...or maybe just straight up old.  But more and more I am just sick of voting for the lesser of two evils.  I want to look forward to the first Tuesday in November.  I want our leader to truly have the soul of the country at the heart of his public service motivation.

You want to Make America Great Again? Try putting someone who gives a damn on the ballot.

Only As Old As You Let Yourself Feel

 

Why would anyone want to act your age?  I’m 50.  Who the hell wants to act 50? 

I’ve been asking myself this question a lot lately.

I have t-shirts referencing Star Blazers, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, etc.  You don’t see a lot of old heads rocking that look.  

A good dick joke is still hilarious. 

I am still into Dungeons & Dragons.  And have been playing without a significant hiatus since I was about twelve.

I spend more time on my Playstation than I should…and less than I want.  One of the coolest things I got this year was a statue of Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn.  You old guys will need to look that up.

I’m currently listening to a podcast of Wolverine: The Long Night, from Marvel.

Occasionally I consider all this stuff and wonder if it makes sense.  And a good bit of it does not.  But that is, I think, what keeps me coming back to it all.  All those things above keeps the twelve-year-old inside me alive and kicking.  Some things just won’t allow the over serious adult in you to take charge.  Try sitting around a table with friends you’ve known for years and NOT laugh when one of them farts.  Of course it’s stupid but damn is it funny.  Because it was funny when I was twelve, and twenty, and thirty-seven.

When we get together to play D&D, the trappings are more adult these days.  We sit around a large table, eat a well-cooked meal, and have a cup of coffee or two throughout the evening, and may chat about kids or work.  That is instead of huddling over a small chest, eating nothing but red hots and caramel cremes, and drinking liter upon liter of Coke while chatting about how stupid school was that day.  But my inner self time travels to 1981, every time, regardless of where or when we play.

If I’m wearing my Yamato t-shirt and walk by a mirror, I may momentarily think it looks odd on so old a dude.  But that is immediately replaced by, “Fuck it, I like that ship.”  What would I rather be wearing, a plaid short sleeved button down with a white shirt?  Kill me.

I hold on to this list of childish things because they’re silly, and fun.  You know I also enjoy a good Ashton and some Bombay.  They are a whole different kind of fun, but life would not be nearly as interesting with just that part.  There is a time and place, but don’t act your age all the time.  Don’t be that fifty-year-old that my teenage self looks at with just a bit of disdain.  Do not go quietly….nope.

 

Parents Know Best?

 

I have learned a very long list of things by raising two kids.  I can't say it was unexpected, but some of them came as a surprise.  One that I've come to realize recently is that it's OK to stray from accepted preconceived paths or ideas.  

 As I grew up the accepted norm was school, college, white collar.  Pretty straight forward.  I always enjoyed being at school, but not so much the actual schooling.  But since I never really considered a different path, I soldiered forth as needed...to a point.

My two, now teenage, boys as so similar in many ways and SO, SO unique as well.  That was weird to get used to at first, but I grew to relish it.  The older is following what I'd consider the more traditional path that I assumed to be on at his age.  He was very studious in high school, is now attending college, studying engineering, and knows that is what he'd like to move into after getting his degree.

The curve ball here is my younger son.  He is very creative and intelligent, which is to be expected...cause, let's face it, look at his dad.  However, he is not a lover of school, doesn't necessarily want to attend college, and is still scanning the horizon for that inspiration of what to do "when he grows up."  It took some getting used to, but I have found that I'm completely OK with all that. 

It was a very hard thing to step back and let one of my kids choose the path that I feel like I would never have considered for myself or for him.  But I think the lesson is very well learned.  He has taken a bit of control of where he wants to go, and I feel like he'll be happier and more prosperous in the end for doing it.

As parents, as flexible and cool as we all think we are, the urge to get the kids on a familiar path is nearly overwhelming.  It's been drilled into all of us that there is a safe, effective, and normal way to grow up and into and career.  At fifty, I am finally and truly comfortable with the fact that that does not need to be the case. 

And maybe more importantly, I am proud that he has had the courage to not toe the line.  I know it's not scaling Everest, but to a teenager it is a daunting task to not follow the herd.  The herd is comfortable but not always right.  Take the path less travelled (yep) if it calls to you, and do what will lay out your best future. That could make all the difference.