One thing to know about me

So, here's the thing. The boy's teachers for the past 2 years have has a web site for the kids to check their homework. Last week he'd forgotten to check the board, so he checked the internet. It said check with Ms. C (one of his teachers), so he did, and she said there was no homework. So the next day Ms. L has a cow because over half the class hasn't done the homework! She told them they had to write 200 sentences or they'd get a zero. I sent her a note saying I thought that was a bit much since he had checked the internet and with the other teacher. So, she calls me and sayd that she doesn't update the web site, the other teacher doesn't know what her homework is, that "all the other parents went along" and that he was "hiding behind me as a means of being lazy." She went on from there. If you know me at all, you have a pretty good idea what I had to say to her.

I told the boy I thought she was wrong, and that he didn't have to do the sentences if he didn't want to. But that if he chose to ignore what she said, he would likely be getting a zero on the assignment and that she might make trouble for him until the end of the year. I left the choice up to him.

My great grandfather was probably the most talented person I have ever known. He held multiple engineering degrees, he was a talented artist in many mediums, he volunteered regularly in his community. Back in the day, he was a young man with a very promising (and lucrative) engineering career. He had a lovely wife and 3 beautiful daughters. He uprooted them, took them to a country where they couldn't speak a word of the language and the citizens were hostile, then he quickly moved them to yet another country where they didn't know that language. (After the state department came out to their house and immediately granted them citizenship.) They left behind their family, their possessions, their place in society.

Pop left Germany in 1937 and came to America where he went to work for the state department, telling them everything he knew about the German re-armament program. Which was a LOT. He gave up everything he had, and potentially compromised the safety of his family, to do what he knew was right.

I don't consider myself brave, although I do know that I can be pretty glib under pressure. I am not outgoing. But never tell me to fall in line becuase everyone else has. If I think you are wrong I will tell you. If I am the only person who feels that way, that fact in no way negates my feelings. That what this teacher told me to do. That woman has no clue what that metality awakens in my heart. I will never do what I feel to be wrong just because "everyone else agrees with me". Never. To do so would negate every lesson Pop taught me.

Maybe it doesn't seem like a big deal. It's just a child's homework assignment. But I simply cannot abide any person, under any circumstances, asking me to ignore my own personal feelings and to simply go along because everyone else has.

I'm so glad I decied to take him out of that school next year.

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To answer a question in the comments: All Star Trek. They came out with these compilations based on the enemy. There is a Klingon collection, a Romulan, a Borg etc. They contain episodes from all the Star Trek series. So it starts with Enterprise and goes through Voyager. It's a cool way of looking at the evolution of an enemy. I must say the Klingons in the original ST are so cheesy as to hurt my heart a little, even when the episoides are good.

Didn't get everything done this weekend (but I got a lot done!) AND I ate too much. Had an inpromptu party for a friend last night - long story short, crazy ex out of prison is back. She has reason to be concerned. But I was able to make her laugh for a while and relax, so who cares if I had cheesecake and beer. Sue me!