Counting today, there’s only nine days left in the public school year. Yep, it’s time for the final countdown.
Admittedly, my young dudes have been doing their own counting down for a couple of months now, but I think today marks the day when we can make it official.
School’s almost out. Summer’s almost here.
There’s been a whole bunch of changes this year. This was the last year that Sarcasmo would be in high school. He turned 18 and is headed out of the house, living on his own at college. And I don’t know if I’m ready for that. We’ve had a rough patch this last year as I tried to encourage (read that as yelled at him) to do his school work when all he wanted to do was let himself come down with a bad case of senioritis. Still, I am going to miss seeing him every day. Listening to his sarcastic comments and privately finding more than a few of them really funny.
Zippy the Monkey Boy made it through his junior year. He thinks he’s headed into an easy time of it next year, that he’s got a handle on this whole high-school thing, but he’s forgotten the fun we went through when Sarcasmo was applying to colleges. Yeah, Zippy the Monkey Boy is going to have a lot of fun in the next couple of months. He just doesn’t know it yet.
Hyper Lad, it turns out, had the best year of all. His two older brothers didn’t really enjoy middle school at all. Frankly, I expected the same thing to happen to Hyper Lad, but he surprised me. Not only did he make it through the year making A’s and B’s on his report card, but he also made it through socially. He’s got friends, both old and new, and he actually — for the most part and he’d probably never admit this to one of those friends — likes his teachers. He’s made the transition from grade school to middle school look easy.
Summer is always a time of transition, some easier than others. I have a feeling this is going to be one of those not-so-easy summer transitions, dudes. What I do know, though, is that it will certainly be interesting. And that can’t be bad.
Around here in the United States, today is a day off from work. Ostensibly, we get the day off so that we can remember and give thanks for those of our fellow countrymen and women who gave their lives in defense of America.
Yeah, it’s Memorial Day. And it’s a crappy reason to have a day off of work.
Not that I think we shouldn’t honor those who fell in the line of duty. I do. They’re brave and they gave their lives so we could live ours.
No, I just don’t like thinking about the fact that they had to give their lives. I’m remembering a paraphrase of something: I don’t want people who are willing to die for their country. I want people who will make the other guy die for his. But what I’m thinking is I want people who don’t have to die for any country.
Of course, expecting rational behavior for the leaders of just about any country is an exercise in wishful thinking. So let’s just move on.
So, today, take a couple of minutes. Round up the little dudes and dudettes. Have a little talk with them about what this day really means, how it’s not just an excuse for a cook out or to celebrate the beginning of summer. Let them know that real men and real women died to protect them, died to protect people they never even met.
Buz Burkhead is a pretty amazing dude. Not only is he one of the most gifted orthopedic surgeons in the south (and I’m limiting it to the south here because I don’t want him to start blushing too much) who can fix just about any shoulder injury, but he’s also a talented songwriter and singer.
Just so we’re clear, although I did have shoulder surgery late last year, I wasn’t able to go see Dr. Burkhead. I got the next best thing. My shoulder doc trained under Buz.
Buz is possibly the best doctor in music since that Hook fella. (And if you don’t know who Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show were, well, I feel sorry for you. And also for me because that means I am really, really old.)
Anyway.
Dr. Buz and the Medications tonight on your Sunday Serenade. And, no, they Ain’t Got No Tan Lines. And, no, I really didn’t want that picture in my head, but it’s too late. Still, here it is.