Here I am, in our local repair shop, typing this on my phone because my data is all used up, making my phone a big paper weight.

#profanity

But, my phone is a “new to me” phone (I’m a cheap person who buys his phones used off of eBay) and I can actually see what I’m typing, so it’s all good!

#firstworldproblems

I’ve openes my notebook up and much of what I’ve written are observations about my surroundings. I’d like to share a few of those with you:

* We went on a field trip to a environmental education center, and we had to be outside. I was stunned how many of my students were uncomfortable, either with just being outside or with the various activities we did outside. There’s something to be said for telling your kids, “Go outside and play!”

* I was just as surprised on that trip with how coddled our students act. “I need my ….,” or “Why can’t I do….,” were the questions of the day. They expected us as sixth grade teachers to drop everything for them, as if we had done that at all during the school year!

#gigglingattgatmemory

* Yesterday, my wife had an appointment in LaCrosse to see an obgyn (no, nothing like that!), and I noticed how many women come to those appointments alone. True, I didn’t know what they were there for, but a pregnant woman at clinic, usually means something about a baby. For both of our kids, I was at many of those appointments, so it was worth noticing how many men were not.

* At that same appointment, I noticed a group if young Hispanic children running around the waiting room, having a ball! The youngest (I noticsd his name as Diego) was all over the place, but much his time was spent by the huge windows, overlooking a busy road. “Where is Diego,” was uttered easily a half dozen times! He’d wave at me everytime as he ran by, saying “Hola!”

#meltingmyheart

* Finally, the parade of people I’ve seen the last couple of days and the way they’ve been treated has given me hope. True, a clinic and business won’t work if they are not kind, but both if these places seem to treat people better on another level. It makes me smile and lifts my spirits to watch the women in the clinic and the people here in the shop do what they do best!

Now, if the shop manager could bring me some good news! A $500 bill is smacking me in the face!

#ouch