A kinder, gentler time?

I showed my face at my son's school today. I'd been avoiding it like the plague after some teachers were less than happy with my suggestion that everyone take a pay freeze a few weeks ago. I've been in the building, but only when necessary. This morning I talked at length with one teacher about stuff in general and one thing specifically:

The world is too polarized these days. It seems much worse than before. We agreed: people need to take a step back and take a deep breath. 

It seems to be permeating all aspects of life. Everyone is fighting for their own interests: an upcoming fight on the new Supreme Court nominee, my son arguing that it has to be a BROWN bag, not a plastic bag holding his lunch this morning, my flat refusal to attend a dinner my Dad wants me to go to on Saturday night. Salary negotiations. Near daily disagreements with my daughter over everything that is vital in a 12 year old's world. The ongoing arguments between a husband and a wife. And, of course, the upcoming NJ school budget vote, the upcoming debate over the Governor's budget - and way off a year from now, the BREA teacher's contract negotiation, which is already being discussed.  I'm sick of thinking about all of it.


What I really want is a day of peace. A month of peace. To turn of the news - this morning of yet another 6.9 quake, this time in China, the death of the Polish President and some 90 others this weekend in Russia, and the worst allergy season in years....  Should I turn off the computer? Change the radio station to music and only watch sit-coms on TV? Tempting indeed!

I'd love to just sit by this lake and feed those ducks. But, alas, yesterday's dinner still sits on the kitchen table. Duty calls.

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