Next Tuesday is Ethan's birthday. When we went to his new middle school to pick up his schedule and have his photo taken, we met both his counselor and principal. His principal promised him that when he saw him in the hall next week, on the first day of school, on his birthday, he would stop and sing happy birthday to him.
Ethan is leaving behind the Newcomers program. Cathy and I think he's a late bloomer, which is alright with us. He's been in the Newcomers program at a couple schools. His teachers think the world of him. The Newcomers program is concentrated and specialized. It's one, or two classrooms, and lab. It's learning English. It's getting ready before diving headfirst into mainstream classrooms. Ethan is not his brother, Justin; or, his sister, Bella. But we have warned him that Justin's first semester was a bit of a culture shock; going from one or two classrooms with just a couple teachers, to hustling from one classroom to another on the other side of school. Imagine growing up on a farm out in the country and then moving to a big city like Minneapolis-St. Paul, Chicago or New York and you kinda have the idea. Looking at Ethan's schedule, it's laid out brilliantly. Most of morning classes are not to far from his locker. Then he heads downstairs for a class right before lunch in the cafeteria, and his next class after that is just down the hall. Bada-bing, bada-boom. Cake!
I read somewhere a while back that fewer and fewer people sew. It is becoming a lost art or craft. More people buy their clothes than sew them. With the whole world in front of her, Bella has taken up an interest in sewing. She wants to become a fashion designer. Right now, I'd guess she is more of a fashionista. Her grandmother, my mom, has sewn for at least the half century that I have been alive. The dining room table was taken over by a cutting board. I have a closet full of homemade Hawaiian shirts. throughout high school, Mom made pajamas and robes and patched holes in my wardrobe. It's kinda cool to see her and Bella bonding over needle and thread. Grandma bought Bella her first sewing machine. Then went out and bought her a second sewing project: pattern, material and thread.
I picked up the guitar and played for a few years through high school. I was in a band with a couple buddies. When we wanted to record a demo, Mom and Dad not only encouraged it, but supported it. When I started my career in broadcasting, Dad would introduce start conversations by asking people what radio station they listened to and then introducing himself as my dad. I was a morning show stunt man, called The Gerbil. My dad was in his late '60's introducing himself around town as "The Gerbil's dad". He didn't spend a whole lot of time telling me how much he loved me or how proud he was of me. He showed it. He told everybody else.
My guitar has sat in the closet a lot longer than I've wanted it to. Probably because a few years ago a few more strings than I've wanted have gotten broken.
When Justin first came to visit, he picked up my acoustic and just banged on it.
What Justin leaves behind is middle school. He and his sister Bella are 9th graders this year. Over the years of Newcomers and Middle School, Justin has never learned cursive handwriting. In this digital, keyboard age, cursive handwriting isn't taught anymore. With social media, iPhones, Skype and e-mail, there really isn't a need to learn how to sit down and write a letter or thank-you note. Justin has to practice signing his name before he can sign his name. It's funny to watch. Except when I see his hand hesitate and shake, and I realize just how hard it is and how paralyzing it is. We have to talk him through the process of how to sign his name in cursive. Instead of just leaving an "X" mark.
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| First Day of School 2014 |
Warp Factor Ten. "Let's see what's out there."
Make it so.
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