Still An On-going Journey

Dance Like You're 8

At the start of the weekend, I took two of my girls to an 80s-themed mother-daughter dance. We dressed up in 80s-ish attire, colored our hair and set out to party.

I was nervous about the night, because we don't have the best track record at these sort of things. But my girls surprised me.

We saw a few friends, but mostly hung out with each other. My eight year old surprised me, dancing and letting lose in a way I haven't really seen her. She's goofy in private at home, but not so much in public.

She danced. Wonderfully, crazy, danced. I took videos as proof. And blackmail.

But I also took a cue. I danced like she was, like I was 8. I let it all out and let it go (yeah, they sang that, too...). And we didn't stop. And it was wonderful.

It Does Affect You

For a over a year now, there has been talk in town of closing an elementary school in our town. The oldest, biggest, most in need. My children's school.

I'm against it. But not for the reasons you might think.

Yes, it's my children's school. Where they have become the amazing little people they are, making friends, learning, growing, leaving.

But it's going to devastate our town. The other schools will over crowd -- they already are.  Eight year olds will be going about their school day in a facility built to house eighteen year olds. Education will suffer. The district's educational quality will go down, further than it already has. Housing prices will slide further. People will move away in search of better education for their children.

Then the town will grow, as it will be more affordable to young families such as we once were. People will move back. The schools will get even more crowded. We will need to build a new one. Taxes will go up. Vicious cycle. In ten years time any paltry savings will be far outweighed by the costs.

Don't close the school.

I've attended the public hearing meetings and spoken my piece. My peace? Either way, I was saddened at some meetings to see how few people from town, how few other parents made the time to think this is important.

I've had friends say to me, "It won't affect me, the my youngest is in third grade and will be gone before the school closes."
Newsflash: It will affect you. Read above.

I've had friends say to me, "It won't affect me, my children don't attend that school."
Newsflash: It will affect you. Read above.

Educate yourselves. Stand up for your children. Stand up for your community, don't sit idly by and watch it fail. And, for God's sake, go and vote. Because that's where it all starts. Affect yourself.

And don't close the school.